used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading There were men in full dress and women in soft-tinted gowns, moving about like a swarm of gay butterflies.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading There were men in full dress and women in soft-tinted gowns, moving about like a swarm of gay butterflies.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading The soft strains of an orchestra floated through the rooms.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The reception parlors were massed with ferns, palms and roses.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Miss Ellis stood at the head, next to her was Mrs. Laurens who was an officer in the National Federation of the Club.
butterfliesnounUS /ˈbʌtərflaɪz/
plural of “butterfly” — diurnal insect typically having a slender body with knobbed antennae and broad colorful wings
From this reading There were men in full dress and women in soft-tinted gowns, moving about like a swarm of gay butterflies.
a team of professional baseball players who play and travel together
From this reading Miss Ellis stood at the head, next to her was Mrs. Laurens who was an officer in the National Federation of the Club.
the cardinal number that is the sum of eleven and one
From this reading The receiving line was made up of a dozen women.
put on clothes
From this reading There were men in full dress and women in soft-tinted gowns, moving about like a swarm of gay butterflies.
EllisnounUS /ˈelɪs/
plural of “elli” — (Norse mythology) goddess of old age who defeated Thor in a wrestling match
From this reading Miss Ellis stood at the head, next to her was Mrs. Laurens who was an officer in the National Federation of the Club.
FederationnounUS /ˌfedərˈeɪʃən/
an organization formed by merging several groups or parties
From this reading Miss Ellis stood at the head, next to her was Mrs. Laurens who was an officer in the National Federation of the Club.
fernsnounUS /fɜːrnz/
plural of “fern” — any of numerous flowerless and seedless vascular plants having true roots from a rhizome and fronds that uncurl upward; reproduce by spores
From this reading The reception parlors were massed with ferns, palms and roses.
floatedverbUS /ˈfloʊtəd/
past form of “float” — be in motion due to some air or water current
From this reading The soft strains of an orchestra floated through the rooms.
containing as much or as many as is possible or normal
From this reading There were men in full dress and women in soft-tinted gowns, moving about like a swarm of gay butterflies.
bright and pleasant; promoting a feeling of cheer
From this reading There were men in full dress and women in soft-tinted gowns, moving about like a swarm of gay butterflies.
gownsnounUS /ɡaʊnz/
plural of “gown” — a woman's dress, usually with a close-fitting bodice and a long flared skirt, often worn on formal occasions
From this reading There were men in full dress and women in soft-tinted gowns, moving about like a swarm of gay butterflies.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading Miss Ellis stood at the head, next to her was Mrs. Laurens who was an officer in the National Federation of the Club.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Miss Ellis stood at the head, next to her was Mrs. Laurens who was an officer in the National Federation of the Club.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading There were men in full dress and women in soft-tinted gowns, moving about like a swarm of gay butterflies.
LaurensnounUS /ˈlɔːrənz/
leader of the American Revolution and president of the Continental Congress (1724-1792)
From this reading Miss Ellis stood at the head, next to her was Mrs. Laurens who was an officer in the National Federation of the Club.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading There were men in full dress and women in soft-tinted gowns, moving about like a swarm of gay butterflies.
a formation of people or things one beside another
From this reading The receiving line was made up of a dozen women.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading The receiving line was made up of a dozen women.
massedverbUS /mæst/
past form of “mass” — join together into a mass or collect or form a mass
From this reading The reception parlors were massed with ferns, palms and roses.
the force of workers available
From this reading There were men in full dress and women in soft-tinted gowns, moving about like a swarm of gay butterflies.
fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind
From this reading Miss Ellis stood at the head, next to her was Mrs. Laurens who was an officer in the National Federation of the Club.
in motion
From this reading There were men in full dress and women in soft-tinted gowns, moving about like a swarm of gay butterflies.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading Miss Ellis stood at the head, next to her was Mrs. Laurens who was an officer in the National Federation of the Club.
of or relating to or belonging to a nation or country
From this reading Miss Ellis stood at the head, next to her was Mrs. Laurens who was an officer in the National Federation of the Club.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading Miss Ellis stood at the head, next to her was Mrs. Laurens who was an officer in the National Federation of the Club.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The soft strains of an orchestra floated through the rooms.
any person in the armed services who holds a position of authority or command
From this reading Miss Ellis stood at the head, next to her was Mrs. Laurens who was an officer in the National Federation of the Club.
orchestranounUS /ˈɔːrkəstrə/
a musical organization consisting of a group of instrumentalists including string players
From this reading The soft strains of an orchestra floated through the rooms.
palmsnounUS /pɑːmz/
plural of “palm” — the inner surface of the hand from the wrist to the base of the fingers
From this reading The reception parlors were massed with ferns, palms and roses.
parlorsnounUS /ˈpɑːrlərz/
plural of “parlor” — reception room in an inn or club where visitors can be received
From this reading The reception parlors were massed with ferns, palms and roses.
receivingverbUS /rəˈsiːvɪŋ/
-ing form of “receive” — get something; come into possession of
From this reading The receiving line was made up of a dozen women.
receptionnounUS /rɪˈsepʃən/
the manner in which something is greeted
From this reading The reception parlors were massed with ferns, palms and roses.
apartment consisting of a series of connected rooms used as a living unit (as in a hotel)
From this reading The soft strains of an orchestra floated through the rooms.
plural of “rose” — any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses
From this reading The reception parlors were massed with ferns, palms and roses.
yielding readily to pressure or weight
From this reading The soft strains of an orchestra floated through the rooms.
soft-tinted
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There were men in full dress and women in soft-tinted gowns, moving about like a swarm of gay butterflies.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading Miss Ellis stood at the head, next to her was Mrs. Laurens who was an officer in the National Federation of the Club.
strainsnounUS /streɪnz/
plural of “strain” — (physics) deformation of a physical body under the action of applied forces
From this reading The soft strains of an orchestra floated through the rooms.
swarmnounUS /swɔːrm/
a moving crowd
From this reading There were men in full dress and women in soft-tinted gowns, moving about like a swarm of gay butterflies.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The reception parlors were massed with ferns, palms and roses.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There were men in full dress and women in soft-tinted gowns, moving about like a swarm of gay butterflies.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading The soft strains of an orchestra floated through the rooms.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Miss Ellis stood at the head, next to her was Mrs. Laurens who was an officer in the National Federation of the Club.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading The receiving line was made up of a dozen women.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The receiving line was made up of a dozen women.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The reception parlors were massed with ferns, palms and roses.
which person or people
From this reading Miss Ellis stood at the head, next to her was Mrs. Laurens who was an officer in the National Federation of the Club.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The reception parlors were massed with ferns, palms and roses.
plural of “woman” — an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading There were men in full dress and women in soft-tinted gowns, moving about like a swarm of gay butterflies.
