used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading We had a very noisy, happy journey to London.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading We chattered, and laughed, and hopped about like a lot of birds turned out of a cage.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading We chattered, and laughed, and hopped about like a lot of birds turned out of a cage.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading I fear that our conduct was not very decorous, but in the circumstances we were to be excused.
plural of “bird” — warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings
From this reading We chattered, and laughed, and hopped about like a lot of birds turned out of a cage.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading NORTHWARDS--THE BLACK COUNTRY--THE STONE COUNTRY.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading I fear that our conduct was not very decorous, but in the circumstances we were to be excused.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Emma sat by the window, and made a running commentary upon everybody and everything we passed in a strain of what seemed to us irresistible wit and humour.
cagenounUS /keɪdʒ/
an enclosure made or wire or metal bars in which birds or animals can be kept
From this reading We chattered, and laughed, and hopped about like a lot of birds turned out of a cage.
chattered
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We chattered, and laughed, and hopped about like a lot of birds turned out of a cage.
your overall circumstances or condition in life (including everything that happens to you)
From this reading I fear that our conduct was not very decorous, but in the circumstances we were to be excused.
commentarynounUS /ˈkɑːmənteri/
a written explanation or criticism or illustration that is added to a book or other textual material
From this reading Emma sat by the window, and made a running commentary upon everybody and everything we passed in a strain of what seemed to us irresistible wit and humour.
direct the course of; manage or control
From this reading I fear that our conduct was not very decorous, but in the circumstances we were to be excused.
a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading NORTHWARDS--THE BLACK COUNTRY--THE STONE COUNTRY.
decorousadjectiveUS /ˈdekərəs/
characterized by propriety and dignity and good taste in manners and conduct
From this reading I fear that our conduct was not very decorous, but in the circumstances we were to be excused.
Emma
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Emma sat by the window, and made a running commentary upon everybody and everything we passed in a strain of what seemed to us irresistible wit and humour.
every person
From this reading Emma sat by the window, and made a running commentary upon everybody and everything we passed in a strain of what seemed to us irresistible wit and humour.
all things; all of a situation
From this reading Emma sat by the window, and made a running commentary upon everybody and everything we passed in a strain of what seemed to us irresistible wit and humour.
excusedadjectiveUS /ɪksˈkjuːzd/
granted exemption
From this reading I fear that our conduct was not very decorous, but in the circumstances we were to be excused.
be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event
From this reading I fear that our conduct was not very decorous, but in the circumstances we were to be excused.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading We had a very noisy, happy journey to London.
enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure
From this reading We had a very noisy, happy journey to London.
hoppedverbUS /hɑːpt/
inflected form of “hop” — jump lightly
From this reading We chattered, and laughed, and hopped about like a lot of birds turned out of a cage.
a characteristic (habitual or relatively temporary) state of feeling
From this reading Emma sat by the window, and made a running commentary upon everybody and everything we passed in a strain of what seemed to us irresistible wit and humour.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I fear that our conduct was not very decorous, but in the circumstances we were to be excused.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Emma sat by the window, and made a running commentary upon everybody and everything we passed in a strain of what seemed to us irresistible wit and humour.
irresistibleadjectiveUS /ˌɪrɪˈzɪstəbəl/
impossible to resist; overpowering
From this reading Emma sat by the window, and made a running commentary upon everybody and everything we passed in a strain of what seemed to us irresistible wit and humour.
undertake a journey or trip
From this reading We had a very noisy, happy journey to London.
past form of “laugh” — produce laughter
From this reading We chattered, and laughed, and hopped about like a lot of birds turned out of a cage.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading We chattered, and laughed, and hopped about like a lot of birds turned out of a cage.
the capital and largest city of England; located on the Thames in southeastern England; financial and industrial and cultural center
From this reading We had a very noisy, happy journey to London.
(often followed by “of”) a large number or amount or extent
From this reading We chattered, and laughed, and hopped about like a lot of birds turned out of a cage.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading Emma sat by the window, and made a running commentary upon everybody and everything we passed in a strain of what seemed to us irresistible wit and humour.
noisyadjectiveUS /ˈnɔɪzi/
full of or characterized by loud and nonmusical sounds
From this reading We had a very noisy, happy journey to London.
NORTHWARDSadverb
in a northern direction
From this reading NORTHWARDS--THE BLACK COUNTRY--THE STONE COUNTRY.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading I fear that our conduct was not very decorous, but in the circumstances we were to be excused.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading We chattered, and laughed, and hopped about like a lot of birds turned out of a cage.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading I fear that our conduct was not very decorous, but in the circumstances we were to be excused.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading We chattered, and laughed, and hopped about like a lot of birds turned out of a cage.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading Emma sat by the window, and made a running commentary upon everybody and everything we passed in a strain of what seemed to us irresistible wit and humour.
(of fluids) moving or issuing in a stream
From this reading Emma sat by the window, and made a running commentary upon everybody and everything we passed in a strain of what seemed to us irresistible wit and humour.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading Emma sat by the window, and made a running commentary upon everybody and everything we passed in a strain of what seemed to us irresistible wit and humour.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading Emma sat by the window, and made a running commentary upon everybody and everything we passed in a strain of what seemed to us irresistible wit and humour.
a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading NORTHWARDS--THE BLACK COUNTRY--THE STONE COUNTRY.
(physics) deformation of a physical body under the action of applied forces
From this reading Emma sat by the window, and made a running commentary upon everybody and everything we passed in a strain of what seemed to us irresistible wit and humour.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading I fear that our conduct was not very decorous, but in the circumstances we were to be excused.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading NORTHWARDS--THE BLACK COUNTRY--THE STONE COUNTRY.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading We had a very noisy, happy journey to London.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading We chattered, and laughed, and hopped about like a lot of birds turned out of a cage.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Emma sat by the window, and made a running commentary upon everybody and everything we passed in a strain of what seemed to us irresistible wit and humour.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Emma sat by the window, and made a running commentary upon everybody and everything we passed in a strain of what seemed to us irresistible wit and humour.
precisely as stated
From this reading We had a very noisy, happy journey to London.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I fear that our conduct was not very decorous, but in the circumstances we were to be excused.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading We had a very noisy, happy journey to London.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading I fear that our conduct was not very decorous, but in the circumstances we were to be excused.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading Emma sat by the window, and made a running commentary upon everybody and everything we passed in a strain of what seemed to us irresistible wit and humour.
a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air
From this reading Emma sat by the window, and made a running commentary upon everybody and everything we passed in a strain of what seemed to us irresistible wit and humour.
a message whose ingenuity or verbal skill or incongruity has the power to evoke laughter
From this reading Emma sat by the window, and made a running commentary upon everybody and everything we passed in a strain of what seemed to us irresistible wit and humour.
