used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Small knowledge have I had of men saving the dancing-master at our school; a beautiful new youth is almost as great a novelty to me as to Miranda, and I am a good deal gawkier than she was under the new experience.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading Small knowledge have I had of men saving the dancing-master at our school; a beautiful new youth is almost as great a novelty to me as to Miranda, and I am a good deal gawkier than she was under the new experience.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading Small knowledge have I had of men saving the dancing-master at our school; a beautiful new youth is almost as great a novelty to me as to Miranda, and I am a good deal gawkier than she was under the new experience.
amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/
surrounded by; in the middle of a group
From this reading “For some moments the silence threatens to remain unbroken between us; for some moments the subdued sound of father’s and mother’s talk from among the rosebeds and the piercing clamour of the canaries--fish-wives among birds--are the only noises that salute our ears.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “For some moments the silence threatens to remain unbroken between us; for some moments the subdued sound of father’s and mother’s talk from among the rosebeds and the piercing clamour of the canaries--fish-wives among birds--are the only noises that salute our ears.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “For some moments the silence threatens to remain unbroken between us; for some moments the subdued sound of father’s and mother’s talk from among the rosebeds and the piercing clamour of the canaries--fish-wives among birds--are the only noises that salute our ears.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Small knowledge have I had of men saving the dancing-master at our school; a beautiful new youth is almost as great a novelty to me as to Miranda, and I am a good deal gawkier than she was under the new experience.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Small knowledge have I had of men saving the dancing-master at our school; a beautiful new youth is almost as great a novelty to me as to Miranda, and I am a good deal gawkier than she was under the new experience.
delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration
From this reading Small knowledge have I had of men saving the dancing-master at our school; a beautiful new youth is almost as great a novelty to me as to Miranda, and I am a good deal gawkier than she was under the new experience.
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading “For some moments the silence threatens to remain unbroken between us; for some moments the subdued sound of father’s and mother’s talk from among the rosebeds and the piercing clamour of the canaries--fish-wives among birds--are the only noises that salute our ears.
plural of “bird” — warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings
From this reading “For some moments the silence threatens to remain unbroken between us; for some moments the subdued sound of father’s and mother’s talk from among the rosebeds and the piercing clamour of the canaries--fish-wives among birds--are the only noises that salute our ears.
canariesnounUS /kəˈneriz/
a group of mountainous islands in the Atlantic off the northwest coast of Africa forming Spanish provinces
From this reading “For some moments the silence threatens to remain unbroken between us; for some moments the subdued sound of father’s and mother’s talk from among the rosebeds and the piercing clamour of the canaries--fish-wives among birds--are the only noises that salute our ears.
carpetnounUS /ˈkɑːrpət/
floor covering consisting of a piece of thick heavy fabric (usually with nap or pile)
From this reading My eyes are reading the muddled pattern of the Turkey carpet; I do not know what his are doing.
clamourverbUS /ˈklæmər/
utter or proclaim insistently and noisily
From this reading “For some moments the silence threatens to remain unbroken between us; for some moments the subdued sound of father’s and mother’s talk from among the rosebeds and the piercing clamour of the canaries--fish-wives among birds--are the only noises that salute our ears.
dancing-masternoun
a professional teacher of dancing
From this reading Small knowledge have I had of men saving the dancing-master at our school; a beautiful new youth is almost as great a novelty to me as to Miranda, and I am a good deal gawkier than she was under the new experience.
act on verbally or in some form of artistic expression
From this reading Small knowledge have I had of men saving the dancing-master at our school; a beautiful new youth is almost as great a novelty to me as to Miranda, and I am a good deal gawkier than she was under the new experience.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading My eyes are reading the muddled pattern of the Turkey carpet; I do not know what his are doing.
-ing form of “do” — engage in
From this reading My eyes are reading the muddled pattern of the Turkey carpet; I do not know what his are doing.
plural of “ear” — the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium
From this reading “For some moments the silence threatens to remain unbroken between us; for some moments the subdued sound of father’s and mother’s talk from among the rosebeds and the piercing clamour of the canaries--fish-wives among birds--are the only noises that salute our ears.
undergo or live through a difficult experience
From this reading Small knowledge have I had of men saving the dancing-master at our school; a beautiful new youth is almost as great a novelty to me as to Miranda, and I am a good deal gawkier than she was under the new experience.
opinion or judgment
From this reading My eyes are reading the muddled pattern of the Turkey carpet; I do not know what his are doing.
father'snounUS /ˈfɑːðərz/
possessive form of “father” — a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading “For some moments the silence threatens to remain unbroken between us; for some moments the subdued sound of father’s and mother’s talk from among the rosebeds and the piercing clamour of the canaries--fish-wives among birds--are the only noises that salute our ears.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading I think he must have made a vow that he would not speak first.
fish-wives
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “For some moments the silence threatens to remain unbroken between us; for some moments the subdued sound of father’s and mother’s talk from among the rosebeds and the piercing clamour of the canaries--fish-wives among birds--are the only noises that salute our ears.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading “For some moments the silence threatens to remain unbroken between us; for some moments the subdued sound of father’s and mother’s talk from among the rosebeds and the piercing clamour of the canaries--fish-wives among birds--are the only noises that salute our ears.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading “For some moments the silence threatens to remain unbroken between us; for some moments the subdued sound of father’s and mother’s talk from among the rosebeds and the piercing clamour of the canaries--fish-wives among birds--are the only noises that salute our ears.
gawkier
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Small knowledge have I had of men saving the dancing-master at our school; a beautiful new youth is almost as great a novelty to me as to Miranda, and I am a good deal gawkier than she was under the new experience.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading Small knowledge have I had of men saving the dancing-master at our school; a beautiful new youth is almost as great a novelty to me as to Miranda, and I am a good deal gawkier than she was under the new experience.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading Small knowledge have I had of men saving the dancing-master at our school; a beautiful new youth is almost as great a novelty to me as to Miranda, and I am a good deal gawkier than she was under the new experience.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Small knowledge have I had of men saving the dancing-master at our school; a beautiful new youth is almost as great a novelty to me as to Miranda, and I am a good deal gawkier than she was under the new experience.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Small knowledge have I had of men saving the dancing-master at our school; a beautiful new youth is almost as great a novelty to me as to Miranda, and I am a good deal gawkier than she was under the new experience.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading I think he must have made a vow that he would not speak first.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading My eyes are reading the muddled pattern of the Turkey carpet; I do not know what his are doing.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading My eyes are reading the muddled pattern of the Turkey carpet; I do not know what his are doing.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Small knowledge have I had of men saving the dancing-master at our school; a beautiful new youth is almost as great a novelty to me as to Miranda, and I am a good deal gawkier than she was under the new experience.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading My eyes are reading the muddled pattern of the Turkey carpet; I do not know what his are doing.
the psychological result of perception and learning and reasoning
From this reading Small knowledge have I had of men saving the dancing-master at our school; a beautiful new youth is almost as great a novelty to me as to Miranda, and I am a good deal gawkier than she was under the new experience.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading I think he must have made a vow that he would not speak first.
engage in
From this reading Noise we make none ourselves.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Small knowledge have I had of men saving the dancing-master at our school; a beautiful new youth is almost as great a novelty to me as to Miranda, and I am a good deal gawkier than she was under the new experience.
the force of workers available
From this reading Small knowledge have I had of men saving the dancing-master at our school; a beautiful new youth is almost as great a novelty to me as to Miranda, and I am a good deal gawkier than she was under the new experience.
Miranda
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Small knowledge have I had of men saving the dancing-master at our school; a beautiful new youth is almost as great a novelty to me as to Miranda, and I am a good deal gawkier than she was under the new experience.
plural of “moment” — a particular point in time
From this reading “For some moments the silence threatens to remain unbroken between us; for some moments the subdued sound of father’s and mother’s talk from among the rosebeds and the piercing clamour of the canaries--fish-wives among birds--are the only noises that salute our ears.
mother'snounUS /ˈmʌðərz/
possessive form of “mother” — a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading “For some moments the silence threatens to remain unbroken between us; for some moments the subdued sound of father’s and mother’s talk from among the rosebeds and the piercing clamour of the canaries--fish-wives among birds--are the only noises that salute our ears.
muddledadjectiveUS /ˈmʌdəld/
confused and vague; used especially of thinking
From this reading My eyes are reading the muddled pattern of the Turkey carpet; I do not know what his are doing.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading I think he must have made a vow that he would not speak first.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading My eyes are reading the muddled pattern of the Turkey carpet; I do not know what his are doing.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading Small knowledge have I had of men saving the dancing-master at our school; a beautiful new youth is almost as great a novelty to me as to Miranda, and I am a good deal gawkier than she was under the new experience.
sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound)
From this reading Noise we make none ourselves.
noisesnounUS /ˈnɔɪzɪz/
plural of “noise” — sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound)
From this reading “For some moments the silence threatens to remain unbroken between us; for some moments the subdued sound of father’s and mother’s talk from among the rosebeds and the piercing clamour of the canaries--fish-wives among birds--are the only noises that salute our ears.
not one, and not any
From this reading Noise we make none ourselves.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading My eyes are reading the muddled pattern of the Turkey carpet; I do not know what his are doing.
noveltynounUS /ˈnɑːvəlti/
originality by virtue of being refreshingly novel
From this reading Small knowledge have I had of men saving the dancing-master at our school; a beautiful new youth is almost as great a novelty to me as to Miranda, and I am a good deal gawkier than she was under the new experience.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “For some moments the silence threatens to remain unbroken between us; for some moments the subdued sound of father’s and mother’s talk from among the rosebeds and the piercing clamour of the canaries--fish-wives among birds--are the only noises that salute our ears.
and nothing more
From this reading “For some moments the silence threatens to remain unbroken between us; for some moments the subdued sound of father’s and mother’s talk from among the rosebeds and the piercing clamour of the canaries--fish-wives among birds--are the only noises that salute our ears.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading “For some moments the silence threatens to remain unbroken between us; for some moments the subdued sound of father’s and mother’s talk from among the rosebeds and the piercing clamour of the canaries--fish-wives among birds--are the only noises that salute our ears.
used when we are both doing the action and receiving it
From this reading Noise we make none ourselves.
patternnounUS /ˈpætərn/
a perceptual structure
From this reading My eyes are reading the muddled pattern of the Turkey carpet; I do not know what his are doing.
piercingadjectiveUS /ˈpɪrsɪŋ/
having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions
From this reading “For some moments the silence threatens to remain unbroken between us; for some moments the subdued sound of father’s and mother’s talk from among the rosebeds and the piercing clamour of the canaries--fish-wives among birds--are the only noises that salute our ears.
the cognitive process of understanding a written linguistic message
From this reading My eyes are reading the muddled pattern of the Turkey carpet; I do not know what his are doing.
stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading “For some moments the silence threatens to remain unbroken between us; for some moments the subdued sound of father’s and mother’s talk from among the rosebeds and the piercing clamour of the canaries--fish-wives among birds--are the only noises that salute our ears.
rosebeds
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “For some moments the silence threatens to remain unbroken between us; for some moments the subdued sound of father’s and mother’s talk from among the rosebeds and the piercing clamour of the canaries--fish-wives among birds--are the only noises that salute our ears.
saluteverbUS /səˈluːt/
propose a toast to
From this reading “For some moments the silence threatens to remain unbroken between us; for some moments the subdued sound of father’s and mother’s talk from among the rosebeds and the piercing clamour of the canaries--fish-wives among birds--are the only noises that salute our ears.
savingnounUS /ˈseɪvɪŋ/
an act of economizing; reduction in cost
From this reading Small knowledge have I had of men saving the dancing-master at our school; a beautiful new youth is almost as great a novelty to me as to Miranda, and I am a good deal gawkier than she was under the new experience.
an educational institution
From this reading Small knowledge have I had of men saving the dancing-master at our school; a beautiful new youth is almost as great a novelty to me as to Miranda, and I am a good deal gawkier than she was under the new experience.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Small knowledge have I had of men saving the dancing-master at our school; a beautiful new youth is almost as great a novelty to me as to Miranda, and I am a good deal gawkier than she was under the new experience.
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading “For some moments the silence threatens to remain unbroken between us; for some moments the subdued sound of father’s and mother’s talk from among the rosebeds and the piercing clamour of the canaries--fish-wives among birds--are the only noises that salute our ears.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Small knowledge have I had of men saving the dancing-master at our school; a beautiful new youth is almost as great a novelty to me as to Miranda, and I am a good deal gawkier than she was under the new experience.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading “For some moments the silence threatens to remain unbroken between us; for some moments the subdued sound of father’s and mother’s talk from among the rosebeds and the piercing clamour of the canaries--fish-wives among birds--are the only noises that salute our ears.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading “For some moments the silence threatens to remain unbroken between us; for some moments the subdued sound of father’s and mother’s talk from among the rosebeds and the piercing clamour of the canaries--fish-wives among birds--are the only noises that salute our ears.
express in speech
From this reading I think he must have made a vow that he would not speak first.
subduedadjectiveUS /səbˈduːd/
in a softened tone
From this reading “For some moments the silence threatens to remain unbroken between us; for some moments the subdued sound of father’s and mother’s talk from among the rosebeds and the piercing clamour of the canaries--fish-wives among birds--are the only noises that salute our ears.
exchange thoughts; talk with
From this reading “For some moments the silence threatens to remain unbroken between us; for some moments the subdued sound of father’s and mother’s talk from among the rosebeds and the piercing clamour of the canaries--fish-wives among birds--are the only noises that salute our ears.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Small knowledge have I had of men saving the dancing-master at our school; a beautiful new youth is almost as great a novelty to me as to Miranda, and I am a good deal gawkier than she was under the new experience.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading “For some moments the silence threatens to remain unbroken between us; for some moments the subdued sound of father’s and mother’s talk from among the rosebeds and the piercing clamour of the canaries--fish-wives among birds--are the only noises that salute our ears.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “For some moments the silence threatens to remain unbroken between us; for some moments the subdued sound of father’s and mother’s talk from among the rosebeds and the piercing clamour of the canaries--fish-wives among birds--are the only noises that salute our ears.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading I think he must have made a vow that he would not speak first.
threatensverbUS /ˈθretənz/
third-person singular of “threaten” — pose a threat to; present a danger to
From this reading “For some moments the silence threatens to remain unbroken between us; for some moments the subdued sound of father’s and mother’s talk from among the rosebeds and the piercing clamour of the canaries--fish-wives among birds--are the only noises that salute our ears.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “For some moments the silence threatens to remain unbroken between us; for some moments the subdued sound of father’s and mother’s talk from among the rosebeds and the piercing clamour of the canaries--fish-wives among birds--are the only noises that salute our ears.
TurkeynounUS /ˈtɜːrki/
large gallinaceous bird with fan-shaped tail; widely domesticated for food
From this reading My eyes are reading the muddled pattern of the Turkey carpet; I do not know what his are doing.
unbrokenadjectiveUS /ənˈbroʊkən/
marked by continuous or uninterrupted extension in space or time or sequence
From this reading “For some moments the silence threatens to remain unbroken between us; for some moments the subdued sound of father’s and mother’s talk from among the rosebeds and the piercing clamour of the canaries--fish-wives among birds--are the only noises that salute our ears.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading Small knowledge have I had of men saving the dancing-master at our school; a beautiful new youth is almost as great a novelty to me as to Miranda, and I am a good deal gawkier than she was under the new experience.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “For some moments the silence threatens to remain unbroken between us; for some moments the subdued sound of father’s and mother’s talk from among the rosebeds and the piercing clamour of the canaries--fish-wives among birds--are the only noises that salute our ears.
vowverbUS /vaʊ/
make a vow; promise
From this reading I think he must have made a vow that he would not speak first.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Small knowledge have I had of men saving the dancing-master at our school; a beautiful new youth is almost as great a novelty to me as to Miranda, and I am a good deal gawkier than she was under the new experience.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading Noise we make none ourselves.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading My eyes are reading the muddled pattern of the Turkey carpet; I do not know what his are doing.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading I think he must have made a vow that he would not speak first.
a young person (especially a young man or boy)
From this reading Small knowledge have I had of men saving the dancing-master at our school; a beautiful new youth is almost as great a novelty to me as to Miranda, and I am a good deal gawkier than she was under the new experience.
