adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It was early in the afternoon of the last Thursday in October, exactly a week since Monsieur de Garnache all but broken-hearted at the failure of his mission--had departed from Grenoble.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading But the three of them had left the board--the Seneschal with all that reluctance with which he was wont to part company with the table, no matter how perturbed in spirit he might be--and they had come to group themselves about the great open fireplace.
afternoonnounUS /ˌæftərˈnuːn/
the part of the day between noon and evening
From this reading It was early in the afternoon of the last Thursday in October, exactly a week since Monsieur de Garnache all but broken-hearted at the failure of his mission--had departed from Grenoble.
alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/
(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 It was early in the afternoon of the last Thursday in October, exactly a week since Monsieur de Garnache all but broken-hearted at the failure of his mission--had departed from Grenoble.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading A shaft of pale October sunshine entering through the gules of an escutcheon on the mullioned windows struck a scarlet light into silver and glass upon the forsaken board.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading In the great hall of the Chateau de Condillac sat the Dowager, her son, and the Lord Seneschal, in conference.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading It was early in the afternoon of the last Thursday in October, exactly a week since Monsieur de Garnache all but broken-hearted at the failure of his mission--had departed from Grenoble.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading But the three of them had left the board--the Seneschal with all that reluctance with which he was wont to part company with the table, no matter how perturbed in spirit he might be--and they had come to group themselves about the great open fireplace.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading They had dined, and the table was still strewn with vessels and the fragments of their meal, for the cloth had not yet been raised.
boardnounUS /bɔːrd/
a committee having supervisory powers
From this reading But the three of them had left the board--the Seneschal with all that reluctance with which he was wont to part company with the table, no matter how perturbed in spirit he might be--and they had come to group themselves about the great open fireplace.
broken-hearted
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was early in the afternoon of the last Thursday in October, exactly a week since Monsieur de Garnache all but broken-hearted at the failure of his mission--had departed from Grenoble.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading It was early in the afternoon of the last Thursday in October, exactly a week since Monsieur de Garnache all but broken-hearted at the failure of his mission--had departed from Grenoble.
ChateaunounUS /ʃæˈtoʊ/
an impressive country house (or castle) in France
From this reading In the great hall of the Chateau de Condillac sat the Dowager, her son, and the Lord Seneschal, in conference.
clothnounUS /klɔːθ/
artifact made by weaving or felting or knitting or crocheting natural or synthetic fibers
From this reading They had dined, and the table was still strewn with vessels and the fragments of their meal, for the cloth had not yet been raised.
comeverbUS /kʌm/
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading But the three of them had left the board--the Seneschal with all that reluctance with which he was wont to part company with the table, no matter how perturbed in spirit he might be--and they had come to group themselves about the great open fireplace.
companynounUS /ˈkʌmpəniː/
an institution created to conduct business
From this reading But the three of them had left the board--the Seneschal with all that reluctance with which he was wont to part company with the table, no matter how perturbed in spirit he might be--and they had come to group themselves about the great open fireplace.
Condillac
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the great hall of the Chateau de Condillac sat the Dowager, her son, and the Lord Seneschal, in conference.
conferencenounUS /ˈkɑːnfərəns/
a prearranged meeting for consultation or exchange of information or discussion (especially one with a formal agenda)
From this reading In the great hall of the Chateau de Condillac sat the Dowager, her son, and the Lord Seneschal, in conference.
denounUS /diː/
a Mid-Atlantic state; one of the original 13 colonies
From this reading In the great hall of the Chateau de Condillac sat the Dowager, her son, and the Lord Seneschal, in conference.
departedadjectiveUS /dɪˈpɑːrtɪd/
well in the past; former
From this reading It was early in the afternoon of the last Thursday in October, exactly a week since Monsieur de Garnache all but broken-hearted at the failure of his mission--had departed from Grenoble.
dinedverbUS /daɪnd/
past form of “dine” — have supper; eat dinner
From this reading They had dined, and the table was still strewn with vessels and the fragments of their meal, for the cloth had not yet been raised.
DowagernounUS /ˈdaʊədʒər/
a widow holding property received from her deceased husband
From this reading In the great hall of the Chateau de Condillac sat the Dowager, her son, and the Lord Seneschal, in conference.
earlyadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrli/
at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time
From this reading It was early in the afternoon of the last Thursday in October, exactly a week since Monsieur de Garnache all but broken-hearted at the failure of his mission--had departed from Grenoble.
enteringnounUS /ˈentərɪŋ/
a movement into or inward
From this reading A shaft of pale October sunshine entering through the gules of an escutcheon on the mullioned windows struck a scarlet light into silver and glass upon the forsaken board.
escutcheonnoun
a flat protective covering (on a door or wall etc) to prevent soiling by dirty fingers
From this reading A shaft of pale October sunshine entering through the gules of an escutcheon on the mullioned windows struck a scarlet light into silver and glass upon the forsaken board.
exactlyadverbUS /ɪɡˈzæktli/
indicating exactness or preciseness
From this reading It was early in the afternoon of the last Thursday in October, exactly a week since Monsieur de Garnache all but broken-hearted at the failure of his mission--had departed from Grenoble.
failurenounUS /ˈfeɪljər/
an act that fails
From this reading It was early in the afternoon of the last Thursday in October, exactly a week since Monsieur de Garnache all but broken-hearted at the failure of his mission--had departed from Grenoble.
fireplacenounUS /ˈfaɪərpleɪs/
an open recess in a wall at the base of a chimney where a fire can be built
From this reading But the three of them had left the board--the Seneschal with all that reluctance with which he was wont to part company with the table, no matter how perturbed in spirit he might be--and they had come to group themselves about the great open fireplace.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading They had dined, and the table was still strewn with vessels and the fragments of their meal, for the cloth had not yet been raised.
forsakenverbUS /fɔːrˈseɪkən/
inflected form of “forsake” — leave someone who needs or counts on you; leave in the lurch
From this reading A shaft of pale October sunshine entering through the gules of an escutcheon on the mullioned windows struck a scarlet light into silver and glass upon the forsaken board.
fragmentsnounUS /ˈfræɡmənts/
plural of “fragment” — a piece broken off or cut off of something else
From this reading They had dined, and the table was still strewn with vessels and the fragments of their meal, for the cloth had not yet been raised.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading It was early in the afternoon of the last Thursday in October, exactly a week since Monsieur de Garnache all but broken-hearted at the failure of his mission--had departed from Grenoble.
Garnache
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was early in the afternoon of the last Thursday in October, exactly a week since Monsieur de Garnache all but broken-hearted at the failure of his mission--had departed from Grenoble.
glassnounUS /ɡlæs/
a brittle transparent solid with irregular atomic structure
From this reading A shaft of pale October sunshine entering through the gules of an escutcheon on the mullioned windows struck a scarlet light into silver and glass upon the forsaken board.
greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading In the great hall of the Chateau de Condillac sat the Dowager, her son, and the Lord Seneschal, in conference.
GrenoblenounUS /ɡrəˈnoʊbəl/
a city in southeastern France on the Isere River
From this reading It was early in the afternoon of the last Thursday in October, exactly a week since Monsieur de Garnache all but broken-hearted at the failure of his mission--had departed from Grenoble.
groupnounUS /ɡruːp/
any number of entities (members) considered as a unit
From this reading But the three of them had left the board--the Seneschal with all that reluctance with which he was wont to part company with the table, no matter how perturbed in spirit he might be--and they had come to group themselves about the great open fireplace.
gules
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A shaft of pale October sunshine entering through the gules of an escutcheon on the mullioned windows struck a scarlet light into silver and glass upon the forsaken board.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading It was early in the afternoon of the last Thursday in October, exactly a week since Monsieur de Garnache all but broken-hearted at the failure of his mission--had departed from Grenoble.
hallnounUS /hɔːl/
an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open
From this reading In the great hall of the Chateau de Condillac sat the Dowager, her son, and the Lord Seneschal, in conference.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading But the three of them had left the board--the Seneschal with all that reluctance with which he was wont to part company with the table, no matter how perturbed in spirit he might be--and they had come to group themselves about the great open fireplace.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading In the great hall of the Chateau de Condillac sat the Dowager, her son, and the Lord Seneschal, in conference.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading It was early in the afternoon of the last Thursday in October, exactly a week since Monsieur de Garnache all but broken-hearted at the failure of his mission--had departed from Grenoble.
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But the three of them had left the board--the Seneschal with all that reluctance with which he was wont to part company with the table, no matter how perturbed in spirit he might be--and they had come to group themselves about the great open fireplace.
InprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In the great hall of the Chateau de Condillac sat the Dowager, her son, and the Lord Seneschal, in conference.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading A shaft of pale October sunshine entering through the gules of an escutcheon on the mullioned windows struck a scarlet light into silver and glass upon the forsaken board.
ItpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was early in the afternoon of the last Thursday in October, exactly a week since Monsieur de Garnache all but broken-hearted at the failure of his mission--had departed from Grenoble.
lastadjectiveUS /læst/
immediately past
From this reading It was early in the afternoon of the last Thursday in October, exactly a week since Monsieur de Garnache all but broken-hearted at the failure of his mission--had departed from Grenoble.
leftnounUS /left/
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading But the three of them had left the board--the Seneschal with all that reluctance with which he was wont to part company with the table, no matter how perturbed in spirit he might be--and they had come to group themselves about the great open fireplace.
lightadjectiveUS /laɪt/
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading A shaft of pale October sunshine entering through the gules of an escutcheon on the mullioned windows struck a scarlet light into silver and glass upon the forsaken board.
LordnounUS /lɔːrd/
terms referring to the Judeo-Christian God
From this reading In the great hall of the Chateau de Condillac sat the Dowager, her son, and the Lord Seneschal, in conference.
matternounUS /ˈmætər/
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading But the three of them had left the board--the Seneschal with all that reluctance with which he was wont to part company with the table, no matter how perturbed in spirit he might be--and they had come to group themselves about the great open fireplace.
mealnounUS /miːl/
the food served and eaten at one time
From this reading They had dined, and the table was still strewn with vessels and the fragments of their meal, for the cloth had not yet been raised.
mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading But the three of them had left the board--the Seneschal with all that reluctance with which he was wont to part company with the table, no matter how perturbed in spirit he might be--and they had come to group themselves about the great open fireplace.
missionnounUS /ˈmɪʃən/
an organization of missionaries in a foreign land sent to carry on religious work
From this reading It was early in the afternoon of the last Thursday in October, exactly a week since Monsieur de Garnache all but broken-hearted at the failure of his mission--had departed from Grenoble.
MonsieurnounUS /məˈsjɜːr/
used as a French courtesy title; equivalent to English “Mr”
From this reading It was early in the afternoon of the last Thursday in October, exactly a week since Monsieur de Garnache all but broken-hearted at the failure of his mission--had departed from Grenoble.
mullionedadjective
of windows; divided by vertical bars or piers usually of stone
From this reading A shaft of pale October sunshine entering through the gules of an escutcheon on the mullioned windows struck a scarlet light into silver and glass upon the forsaken board.
nodeterminerUS /noʊ/
not any; not one
From this reading But the three of them had left the board--the Seneschal with all that reluctance with which he was wont to part company with the table, no matter how perturbed in spirit he might be--and they had come to group themselves about the great open fireplace.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading They had dined, and the table was still strewn with vessels and the fragments of their meal, for the cloth had not yet been raised.
OctobernounUS /ɑːkˈtoʊbər/
the month following September and preceding November
From this reading It was early in the afternoon of the last Thursday in October, exactly a week since Monsieur de Garnache all but broken-hearted at the failure of his mission--had departed from Grenoble.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading In the great hall of the Chateau de Condillac sat the Dowager, her son, and the Lord Seneschal, in conference.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading A shaft of pale October sunshine entering through the gules of an escutcheon on the mullioned windows struck a scarlet light into silver and glass upon the forsaken board.
openverbUS /ˈoʊ.pən/
To move from a closed position.
From this reading But the three of them had left the board--the Seneschal with all that reluctance with which he was wont to part company with the table, no matter how perturbed in spirit he might be--and they had come to group themselves about the great open fireplace.
paleadjectiveUS /peɪl/
very light colored; highly diluted with white
From this reading A shaft of pale October sunshine entering through the gules of an escutcheon on the mullioned windows struck a scarlet light into silver and glass upon the forsaken board.
partnounUS /pɑːrt/
something determined in relation to something that includes it
From this reading But the three of them had left the board--the Seneschal with all that reluctance with which he was wont to part company with the table, no matter how perturbed in spirit he might be--and they had come to group themselves about the great open fireplace.
perturbedadjectiveUS /pərˈtɜːrbd/
thrown into a state of agitated confusion; (“rattled” is an informal term)
From this reading But the three of them had left the board--the Seneschal with all that reluctance with which he was wont to part company with the table, no matter how perturbed in spirit he might be--and they had come to group themselves about the great open fireplace.
raisedadjectiveUS /reɪzd/
located or moved above the surround or above the normal position
From this reading They had dined, and the table was still strewn with vessels and the fragments of their meal, for the cloth had not yet been raised.
reluctancenounUS /rɪˈlʌktəns/
(physics) opposition to magnetic flux (analogous to electric resistance)
From this reading But the three of them had left the board--the Seneschal with all that reluctance with which he was wont to part company with the table, no matter how perturbed in spirit he might be--and they had come to group themselves about the great open fireplace.
satnounUS /sæt/
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading In the great hall of the Chateau de Condillac sat the Dowager, her son, and the Lord Seneschal, in conference.
scarletnounUS /ˈskɑːrlət/
a variable color that is vivid red but sometimes with an orange tinge
From this reading A shaft of pale October sunshine entering through the gules of an escutcheon on the mullioned windows struck a scarlet light into silver and glass upon the forsaken board.
Seneschalnoun
the chief steward or butler of a great household
From this reading In the great hall of the Chateau de Condillac sat the Dowager, her son, and the Lord Seneschal, in conference.
shaftnounUS /ʃæft/
a line that forms the length of an arrow pointer
From this reading A shaft of pale October sunshine entering through the gules of an escutcheon on the mullioned windows struck a scarlet light into silver and glass upon the forsaken board.
silvernounUS /ˈsɪlvər/
a soft white precious univalent metallic element having the highest electrical and thermal conductivity of any metal; occurs in argentite and in free form; used in coins and jewelry and tableware and photography
From this reading A shaft of pale October sunshine entering through the gules of an escutcheon on the mullioned windows struck a scarlet light into silver and glass upon the forsaken board.
sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/
from a time in the past until now
From this reading It was early in the afternoon of the last Thursday in October, exactly a week since Monsieur de Garnache all but broken-hearted at the failure of his mission--had departed from Grenoble.
sonnounUS /sʌn/
a male human offspring
From this reading In the great hall of the Chateau de Condillac sat the Dowager, her son, and the Lord Seneschal, in conference.
spiritnounUS /ˈspɪrət/
the vital principle or animating force within living things
From this reading But the three of them had left the board--the Seneschal with all that reluctance with which he was wont to part company with the table, no matter how perturbed in spirit he might be--and they had come to group themselves about the great open fireplace.
stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/
not in physical motion
From this reading They had dined, and the table was still strewn with vessels and the fragments of their meal, for the cloth had not yet been raised.
strewnverbUS /struːn/
inflected form of “strew” — spread by scattering ("straw" is archaic)
From this reading They had dined, and the table was still strewn with vessels and the fragments of their meal, for the cloth had not yet been raised.
struckadjectiveUS /strʌk/
(used in combination) affected by something overwhelming
From this reading A shaft of pale October sunshine entering through the gules of an escutcheon on the mullioned windows struck a scarlet light into silver and glass upon the forsaken board.
sunshinenounUS /ˈsʌnʃaɪn/
the rays of the sun
From this reading A shaft of pale October sunshine entering through the gules of an escutcheon on the mullioned windows struck a scarlet light into silver and glass upon the forsaken board.
tablenounUS /ˈteɪbəl/
a set of data arranged in rows and columns
From this reading They had dined, and the table was still strewn with vessels and the fragments of their meal, for the cloth had not yet been raised.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading But the three of them had left the board--the Seneschal with all that reluctance with which he was wont to part company with the table, no matter how perturbed in spirit he might be--and they had come to group themselves about the great open fireplace.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading In the great hall of the Chateau de Condillac sat the Dowager, her son, and the Lord Seneschal, in conference.
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading They had dined, and the table was still strewn with vessels and the fragments of their meal, for the cloth had not yet been raised.
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading But the three of them had left the board--the Seneschal with all that reluctance with which he was wont to part company with the table, no matter how perturbed in spirit he might be--and they had come to group themselves about the great open fireplace.
themselvespronounUS /ðemˈselvz/
used when the people doing the action are also its object
From this reading But the three of them had left the board--the Seneschal with all that reluctance with which he was wont to part company with the table, no matter how perturbed in spirit he might be--and they had come to group themselves about the great open fireplace.
TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They had dined, and the table was still strewn with vessels and the fragments of their meal, for the cloth had not yet been raised.
threenounUS /θriː/
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading But the three of them had left the board--the Seneschal with all that reluctance with which he was wont to part company with the table, no matter how perturbed in spirit he might be--and they had come to group themselves about the great open fireplace.
throughprepositionUS /θruː/
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading A shaft of pale October sunshine entering through the gules of an escutcheon on the mullioned windows struck a scarlet light into silver and glass upon the forsaken board.
ThursdaynounUS /ˈθɜːrzdeɪ/
the fifth day of the week; the fourth working day
From this reading It was early in the afternoon of the last Thursday in October, exactly a week since Monsieur de Garnache all but broken-hearted at the failure of his mission--had departed from Grenoble.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading But the three of them had left the board--the Seneschal with all that reluctance with which he was wont to part company with the table, no matter how perturbed in spirit he might be--and they had come to group themselves about the great open fireplace.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading A shaft of pale October sunshine entering through the gules of an escutcheon on the mullioned windows struck a scarlet light into silver and glass upon the forsaken board.
vesselsnounUS /ˈvesəlz/
plural of “vessel” — a tube in which a body fluid circulates
From this reading They had dined, and the table was still strewn with vessels and the fragments of their meal, for the cloth had not yet been raised.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was early in the afternoon of the last Thursday in October, exactly a week since Monsieur de Garnache all but broken-hearted at the failure of his mission--had departed from Grenoble.
weeknounUS /wiːk/
any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading It was early in the afternoon of the last Thursday in October, exactly a week since Monsieur de Garnache all but broken-hearted at the failure of his mission--had departed from Grenoble.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading But the three of them had left the board--the Seneschal with all that reluctance with which he was wont to part company with the table, no matter how perturbed in spirit he might be--and they had come to group themselves about the great open fireplace.
windowsnounUS /ˈwɪndoʊz/
(trademark) an operating system with a graphical user interface
From this reading A shaft of pale October sunshine entering through the gules of an escutcheon on the mullioned windows struck a scarlet light into silver and glass upon the forsaken board.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading They had dined, and the table was still strewn with vessels and the fragments of their meal, for the cloth had not yet been raised.
wontnounUS /woʊnt/
an established custom
From this reading But the three of them had left the board--the Seneschal with all that reluctance with which he was wont to part company with the table, no matter how perturbed in spirit he might be--and they had come to group themselves about the great open fireplace.
yetconjunctionUS /jet/
but in spite of that
From this reading They had dined, and the table was still strewn with vessels and the fragments of their meal, for the cloth had not yet been raised.
