used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading When she drew Septimus's attention to this phenomenon he accounted for it by saying that it was because he had such a very big name, which was an excellent thing in that it would enable him to occupy a great deal of room in the universe when he grew up.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading She busied herself all the morning about the flat, happier than she had been for a whole year.
accountedverbUS /əˈkaʊntɪd/
past form of “account” — be the sole or primary factor in the existence, acquisition, supply, or disposal of something
From this reading When she drew Septimus's attention to this phenomenon he accounted for it by saying that it was because he had such a very big name, which was an excellent thing in that it would enable him to occupy a great deal of room in the universe when he grew up.
alienadjectiveUS /ˈeɪliən/
not contained in or deriving from the essential nature of something
From this reading All the pretty fripperies and frivolities had been freshened and refurbished since their desecration at alien hands, and the place looked cheery and homelike; but Emmy found it surprisingly small, and was amazed to discover the prodigious space taken up by the baby.
(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 All the pretty fripperies and frivolities had been freshened and refurbished since their desecration at alien hands, and the place looked cheery and homelike; but Emmy found it surprisingly small, and was amazed to discover the prodigious space taken up by the baby.
amazedadjectiveUS /əˈmeɪzd/
filled with the emotional impact of overwhelming surprise or shock
From this reading All the pretty fripperies and frivolities had been freshened and refurbished since their desecration at alien hands, and the place looked cheery and homelike; but Emmy found it surprisingly small, and was amazed to discover the prodigious space taken up by the baby.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading When she drew Septimus's attention to this phenomenon he accounted for it by saying that it was because he had such a very big name, which was an excellent thing in that it would enable him to occupy a great deal of room in the universe when he grew up.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The little flat in Chelsea, cleaned, swept and garnished by the wife of the porter of the Mansions, received Emmy, her babe, Madame Bolivard and multitudinous luggage.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading All the pretty fripperies and frivolities had been freshened and refurbished since their desecration at alien hands, and the place looked cheery and homelike; but Emmy found it surprisingly small, and was amazed to discover the prodigious space taken up by the baby.
the process whereby a person concentrates on some features of the environment to the (relative) exclusion of others
From this reading When she drew Septimus's attention to this phenomenon he accounted for it by saying that it was because he had such a very big name, which was an excellent thing in that it would enable him to occupy a great deal of room in the universe when he grew up.
babenounUS /beɪb/
a very young child (birth to 1 year) who has not yet begun to walk or talk
From this reading The little flat in Chelsea, cleaned, swept and garnished by the wife of the porter of the Mansions, received Emmy, her babe, Madame Bolivard and multitudinous luggage.
a very young child (birth to 1 year) who has not yet begun to walk or talk
From this reading All the pretty fripperies and frivolities had been freshened and refurbished since their desecration at alien hands, and the place looked cheery and homelike; but Emmy found it surprisingly small, and was amazed to discover the prodigious space taken up by the baby.
for the reason that
From this reading When she drew Septimus's attention to this phenomenon he accounted for it by saying that it was because he had such a very big name, which was an excellent thing in that it would enable him to occupy a great deal of room in the universe when he grew up.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading All the pretty fripperies and frivolities had been freshened and refurbished since their desecration at alien hands, and the place looked cheery and homelike; but Emmy found it surprisingly small, and was amazed to discover the prodigious space taken up by the baby.
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading When she drew Septimus's attention to this phenomenon he accounted for it by saying that it was because he had such a very big name, which was an excellent thing in that it would enable him to occupy a great deal of room in the universe when he grew up.
Bolivard
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The little flat in Chelsea, cleaned, swept and garnished by the wife of the porter of the Mansions, received Emmy, her babe, Madame Bolivard and multitudinous luggage.
busiedverbUS /ˈbɪzid/
inflected form of “busy” — keep busy with
From this reading She busied herself all the morning about the flat, happier than she had been for a whole year.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading All the pretty fripperies and frivolities had been freshened and refurbished since their desecration at alien hands, and the place looked cheery and homelike; but Emmy found it surprisingly small, and was amazed to discover the prodigious space taken up by the baby.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The little flat in Chelsea, cleaned, swept and garnished by the wife of the porter of the Mansions, received Emmy, her babe, Madame Bolivard and multitudinous luggage.
cheeryadjectiveUS /ˈtʃɪri/
bright and pleasant; promoting a feeling of cheer
From this reading All the pretty fripperies and frivolities had been freshened and refurbished since their desecration at alien hands, and the place looked cheery and homelike; but Emmy found it surprisingly small, and was amazed to discover the prodigious space taken up by the baby.
Chelsea
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The little flat in Chelsea, cleaned, swept and garnished by the wife of the porter of the Mansions, received Emmy, her babe, Madame Bolivard and multitudinous luggage.
cleanedverbUS /kliːnd/
past form of “clean” — make clean by removing dirt, filth, or unwanted substances from
From this reading The little flat in Chelsea, cleaned, swept and garnished by the wife of the porter of the Mansions, received Emmy, her babe, Madame Bolivard and multitudinous luggage.
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading Her days of Hagardom were over.
act on verbally or in some form of artistic expression
From this reading When she drew Septimus's attention to this phenomenon he accounted for it by saying that it was because he had such a very big name, which was an excellent thing in that it would enable him to occupy a great deal of room in the universe when he grew up.
desecrationnounUS /desəˈkreɪʃən/
blasphemous behavior; the act of depriving something of its sacred character
From this reading All the pretty fripperies and frivolities had been freshened and refurbished since their desecration at alien hands, and the place looked cheery and homelike; but Emmy found it surprisingly small, and was amazed to discover the prodigious space taken up by the baby.
discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of
From this reading All the pretty fripperies and frivolities had been freshened and refurbished since their desecration at alien hands, and the place looked cheery and homelike; but Emmy found it surprisingly small, and was amazed to discover the prodigious space taken up by the baby.
United States actor (born in Ireland); father of Georgiana Emma Barrymore (1827-1862)
From this reading When she drew Septimus's attention to this phenomenon he accounted for it by saying that it was because he had such a very big name, which was an excellent thing in that it would enable him to occupy a great deal of room in the universe when he grew up.
EmmynounUS /ˈemi/
an annual award by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for outstanding achievements in television
From this reading The little flat in Chelsea, cleaned, swept and garnished by the wife of the porter of the Mansions, received Emmy, her babe, Madame Bolivard and multitudinous luggage.
enableverbUS /eˈneɪbəl/
render capable or able for some task
From this reading When she drew Septimus's attention to this phenomenon he accounted for it by saying that it was because he had such a very big name, which was an excellent thing in that it would enable him to occupy a great deal of room in the universe when he grew up.
very good; of the highest quality
From this reading When she drew Septimus's attention to this phenomenon he accounted for it by saying that it was because he had such a very big name, which was an excellent thing in that it would enable him to occupy a great deal of room in the universe when he grew up.
having a surface without slope, tilt in which no part is higher or lower than another
From this reading The little flat in Chelsea, cleaned, swept and garnished by the wife of the porter of the Mansions, received Emmy, her babe, Madame Bolivard and multitudinous luggage.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading When she drew Septimus's attention to this phenomenon he accounted for it by saying that it was because he had such a very big name, which was an excellent thing in that it would enable him to occupy a great deal of room in the universe when he grew up.
set up or found
From this reading All the pretty fripperies and frivolities had been freshened and refurbished since their desecration at alien hands, and the place looked cheery and homelike; but Emmy found it surprisingly small, and was amazed to discover the prodigious space taken up by the baby.
freshenedverbUS /ˈfreʃənd/
past form of “freshen” — make (to feel) fresh
From this reading All the pretty fripperies and frivolities had been freshened and refurbished since their desecration at alien hands, and the place looked cheery and homelike; but Emmy found it surprisingly small, and was amazed to discover the prodigious space taken up by the baby.
fripperies
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading All the pretty fripperies and frivolities had been freshened and refurbished since their desecration at alien hands, and the place looked cheery and homelike; but Emmy found it surprisingly small, and was amazed to discover the prodigious space taken up by the baby.
frivolities
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading All the pretty fripperies and frivolities had been freshened and refurbished since their desecration at alien hands, and the place looked cheery and homelike; but Emmy found it surprisingly small, and was amazed to discover the prodigious space taken up by the baby.
garnishedverbUS /ˈɡɑːrnɪʃt/
past form of “garnish” — take a debtor's wages on legal orders, such as for child support
From this reading The little flat in Chelsea, cleaned, swept and garnished by the wife of the porter of the Mansions, received Emmy, her babe, Madame Bolivard and multitudinous luggage.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading When she drew Septimus's attention to this phenomenon he accounted for it by saying that it was because he had such a very big name, which was an excellent thing in that it would enable him to occupy a great deal of room in the universe when he grew up.
inflected form of “grow” — pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become
From this reading When she drew Septimus's attention to this phenomenon he accounted for it by saying that it was because he had such a very big name, which was an excellent thing in that it would enable him to occupy a great deal of room in the universe when he grew up.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading All the pretty fripperies and frivolities had been freshened and refurbished since their desecration at alien hands, and the place looked cheery and homelike; but Emmy found it surprisingly small, and was amazed to discover the prodigious space taken up by the baby.
Hagardom
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Her days of Hagardom were over.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading All the pretty fripperies and frivolities had been freshened and refurbished since their desecration at alien hands, and the place looked cheery and homelike; but Emmy found it surprisingly small, and was amazed to discover the prodigious space taken up by the baby.
happieradjectiveUS /ˈhæpiər/
comparative of “happy” — enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure
From this reading She busied herself all the morning about the flat, happier than she had been for a whole year.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading When she drew Septimus's attention to this phenomenon he accounted for it by saying that it was because he had such a very big name, which was an excellent thing in that it would enable him to occupy a great deal of room in the universe when he grew up.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading The little flat in Chelsea, cleaned, swept and garnished by the wife of the porter of the Mansions, received Emmy, her babe, Madame Bolivard and multitudinous luggage.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading She busied herself all the morning about the flat, happier than she had been for a whole year.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading When she drew Septimus's attention to this phenomenon he accounted for it by saying that it was because he had such a very big name, which was an excellent thing in that it would enable him to occupy a great deal of room in the universe when he grew up.
homelikeadjectiveUS /ˈhoʊmlaɪk/
having a feeling of home; cozy and comfortable
From this reading All the pretty fripperies and frivolities had been freshened and refurbished since their desecration at alien hands, and the place looked cheery and homelike; but Emmy found it surprisingly small, and was amazed to discover the prodigious space taken up by the baby.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The little flat in Chelsea, cleaned, swept and garnished by the wife of the porter of the Mansions, received Emmy, her babe, Madame Bolivard and multitudinous luggage.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading All the pretty fripperies and frivolities had been freshened and refurbished since their desecration at alien hands, and the place looked cheery and homelike; but Emmy found it surprisingly small, and was amazed to discover the prodigious space taken up by the baby.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading The little flat in Chelsea, cleaned, swept and garnished by the wife of the porter of the Mansions, received Emmy, her babe, Madame Bolivard and multitudinous luggage.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading All the pretty fripperies and frivolities had been freshened and refurbished since their desecration at alien hands, and the place looked cheery and homelike; but Emmy found it surprisingly small, and was amazed to discover the prodigious space taken up by the baby.
luggagenounUS /ˈlʌɡədʒ/
cases used to carry belongings when traveling
From this reading The little flat in Chelsea, cleaned, swept and garnished by the wife of the porter of the Mansions, received Emmy, her babe, Madame Bolivard and multitudinous luggage.
title used for a married Frenchwoman
From this reading The little flat in Chelsea, cleaned, swept and garnished by the wife of the porter of the Mansions, received Emmy, her babe, Madame Bolivard and multitudinous luggage.
MansionsnounUS /ˈmæntʃənz/
plural of “mansion” — (astrology) one of 12 equal areas into which the zodiac is divided
From this reading The little flat in Chelsea, cleaned, swept and garnished by the wife of the porter of the Mansions, received Emmy, her babe, Madame Bolivard and multitudinous luggage.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading She busied herself all the morning about the flat, happier than she had been for a whole year.
multitudinousadjective
too numerous to be counted
From this reading The little flat in Chelsea, cleaned, swept and garnished by the wife of the porter of the Mansions, received Emmy, her babe, Madame Bolivard and multitudinous luggage.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading When she drew Septimus's attention to this phenomenon he accounted for it by saying that it was because he had such a very big name, which was an excellent thing in that it would enable him to occupy a great deal of room in the universe when he grew up.
occupyverbUS /ˈɑːkjəpaɪ/
keep busy with
From this reading When she drew Septimus's attention to this phenomenon he accounted for it by saying that it was because he had such a very big name, which was an excellent thing in that it would enable him to occupy a great deal of room in the universe when he grew up.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The little flat in Chelsea, cleaned, swept and garnished by the wife of the porter of the Mansions, received Emmy, her babe, Madame Bolivard and multitudinous luggage.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading Her days of Hagardom were over.
phenomenonnounUS /fəˈnɑːmənɑːn/
any state or process known through the senses rather than by intuition or reasoning
From this reading When she drew Septimus's attention to this phenomenon he accounted for it by saying that it was because he had such a very big name, which was an excellent thing in that it would enable him to occupy a great deal of room in the universe when he grew up.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading All the pretty fripperies and frivolities had been freshened and refurbished since their desecration at alien hands, and the place looked cheery and homelike; but Emmy found it surprisingly small, and was amazed to discover the prodigious space taken up by the baby.
porternounUS /ˈpɔːrtər/
a person employed to carry luggage and supplies
From this reading The little flat in Chelsea, cleaned, swept and garnished by the wife of the porter of the Mansions, received Emmy, her babe, Madame Bolivard and multitudinous luggage.
pleasing by delicacy or grace; not imposing
From this reading All the pretty fripperies and frivolities had been freshened and refurbished since their desecration at alien hands, and the place looked cheery and homelike; but Emmy found it surprisingly small, and was amazed to discover the prodigious space taken up by the baby.
prodigiousadjectiveUS /prəˈdɪdʒəs/
so great in size or force or extent as to elicit awe
From this reading All the pretty fripperies and frivolities had been freshened and refurbished since their desecration at alien hands, and the place looked cheery and homelike; but Emmy found it surprisingly small, and was amazed to discover the prodigious space taken up by the baby.
conforming to the established language usage of educated native speakers
From this reading The little flat in Chelsea, cleaned, swept and garnished by the wife of the porter of the Mansions, received Emmy, her babe, Madame Bolivard and multitudinous luggage.
refurbishedverbUS /riˈfɜːrbɪʃt/
past form of “refurbish” — make brighter and prettier
From this reading All the pretty fripperies and frivolities had been freshened and refurbished since their desecration at alien hands, and the place looked cheery and homelike; but Emmy found it surprisingly small, and was amazed to discover the prodigious space taken up by the baby.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading When she drew Septimus's attention to this phenomenon he accounted for it by saying that it was because he had such a very big name, which was an excellent thing in that it would enable him to occupy a great deal of room in the universe when he grew up.
a word or phrase that particular people use in particular situations
From this reading When she drew Septimus's attention to this phenomenon he accounted for it by saying that it was because he had such a very big name, which was an excellent thing in that it would enable him to occupy a great deal of room in the universe when he grew up.
Septimus's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When she drew Septimus's attention to this phenomenon he accounted for it by saying that it was because he had such a very big name, which was an excellent thing in that it would enable him to occupy a great deal of room in the universe when he grew up.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading When she drew Septimus's attention to this phenomenon he accounted for it by saying that it was because he had such a very big name, which was an excellent thing in that it would enable him to occupy a great deal of room in the universe when he grew up.
sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/
from a time in the past until now
From this reading All the pretty fripperies and frivolities had been freshened and refurbished since their desecration at alien hands, and the place looked cheery and homelike; but Emmy found it surprisingly small, and was amazed to discover the prodigious space taken up by the baby.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading All the pretty fripperies and frivolities had been freshened and refurbished since their desecration at alien hands, and the place looked cheery and homelike; but Emmy found it surprisingly small, and was amazed to discover the prodigious space taken up by the baby.
the unlimited expanse in which everything is located
From this reading All the pretty fripperies and frivolities had been freshened and refurbished since their desecration at alien hands, and the place looked cheery and homelike; but Emmy found it surprisingly small, and was amazed to discover the prodigious space taken up by the baby.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading When she drew Septimus's attention to this phenomenon he accounted for it by saying that it was because he had such a very big name, which was an excellent thing in that it would enable him to occupy a great deal of room in the universe when he grew up.
surprisinglyadverbUS /sərˈpraɪzɪŋli/
in a surprising manner
From this reading All the pretty fripperies and frivolities had been freshened and refurbished since their desecration at alien hands, and the place looked cheery and homelike; but Emmy found it surprisingly small, and was amazed to discover the prodigious space taken up by the baby.
possessing sweep
From this reading The little flat in Chelsea, cleaned, swept and garnished by the wife of the porter of the Mansions, received Emmy, her babe, Madame Bolivard and multitudinous luggage.
takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading All the pretty fripperies and frivolities had been freshened and refurbished since their desecration at alien hands, and the place looked cheery and homelike; but Emmy found it surprisingly small, and was amazed to discover the prodigious space taken up by the baby.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading She busied herself all the morning about the flat, happier than she had been for a whole year.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading When she drew Septimus's attention to this phenomenon he accounted for it by saying that it was because he had such a very big name, which was an excellent thing in that it would enable him to occupy a great deal of room in the universe when he grew up.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The little flat in Chelsea, cleaned, swept and garnished by the wife of the porter of the Mansions, received Emmy, her babe, Madame Bolivard and multitudinous luggage.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading All the pretty fripperies and frivolities had been freshened and refurbished since their desecration at alien hands, and the place looked cheery and homelike; but Emmy found it surprisingly small, and was amazed to discover the prodigious space taken up by the baby.
a special situation
From this reading When she drew Septimus's attention to this phenomenon he accounted for it by saying that it was because he had such a very big name, which was an excellent thing in that it would enable him to occupy a great deal of room in the universe when he grew up.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading When she drew Septimus's attention to this phenomenon he accounted for it by saying that it was because he had such a very big name, which was an excellent thing in that it would enable him to occupy a great deal of room in the universe when he grew up.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading All the pretty fripperies and frivolities had been freshened and refurbished since their desecration at alien hands, and the place looked cheery and homelike; but Emmy found it surprisingly small, and was amazed to discover the prodigious space taken up by the baby.
universenounUS /ˈjuːnəvɜːrs/
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading When she drew Septimus's attention to this phenomenon he accounted for it by saying that it was because he had such a very big name, which was an excellent thing in that it would enable him to occupy a great deal of room in the universe when he grew up.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading All the pretty fripperies and frivolities had been freshened and refurbished since their desecration at alien hands, and the place looked cheery and homelike; but Emmy found it surprisingly small, and was amazed to discover the prodigious space taken up by the baby.
precisely as stated
From this reading When she drew Septimus's attention to this phenomenon he accounted for it by saying that it was because he had such a very big name, which was an excellent thing in that it would enable him to occupy a great deal of room in the universe when he grew up.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading All the pretty fripperies and frivolities had been freshened and refurbished since their desecration at alien hands, and the place looked cheery and homelike; but Emmy found it surprisingly small, and was amazed to discover the prodigious space taken up by the baby.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Her days of Hagardom were over.
at the time that
From this reading When she drew Septimus's attention to this phenomenon he accounted for it by saying that it was because he had such a very big name, which was an excellent thing in that it would enable him to occupy a great deal of room in the universe when he grew up.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading When she drew Septimus's attention to this phenomenon he accounted for it by saying that it was because he had such a very big name, which was an excellent thing in that it would enable him to occupy a great deal of room in the universe when he grew up.
including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete
From this reading She busied herself all the morning about the flat, happier than she had been for a whole year.
a married woman; a man's partner in marriage
From this reading The little flat in Chelsea, cleaned, swept and garnished by the wife of the porter of the Mansions, received Emmy, her babe, Madame Bolivard and multitudinous luggage.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading When she drew Septimus's attention to this phenomenon he accounted for it by saying that it was because he had such a very big name, which was an excellent thing in that it would enable him to occupy a great deal of room in the universe when he grew up.
a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days
From this reading She busied herself all the morning about the flat, happier than she had been for a whole year.
