used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A SURPRISE.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading George, with his lively ways, and Clara, with her sparkling vivacity, were away on their wedding tour, and our good friend, Mr. Desmond, to whom we had taken a great liking, was about to sail for an indefinite absence in foreign lands.
the state of being absent
From this reading George, with his lively ways, and Clara, with her sparkling vivacity, were away on their wedding tour, and our good friend, Mr. Desmond, to whom we had taken a great liking, was about to sail for an indefinite absence in foreign lands.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading Though the mother-in-law’s presence was less oppressive than formerly, there was now a pensiveness, an air of departed glory about it, that was not cheerful.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading George, with his lively ways, and Clara, with her sparkling vivacity, were away on their wedding tour, and our good friend, Mr. Desmond, to whom we had taken a great liking, was about to sail for an indefinite absence in foreign lands.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading George, with his lively ways, and Clara, with her sparkling vivacity, were away on their wedding tour, and our good friend, Mr. Desmond, to whom we had taken a great liking, was about to sail for an indefinite absence in foreign lands.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading We were feeling a little solemn at the cottage.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading George, with his lively ways, and Clara, with her sparkling vivacity, were away on their wedding tour, and our good friend, Mr. Desmond, to whom we had taken a great liking, was about to sail for an indefinite absence in foreign lands.
buoyancynounUS /ˈbɔɪənsi/
cheerfulness that bubbles to the surface
From this reading There was danger of settling down to a humdrum sort of life, free from strife, perhaps, but at the same time devoid of that buoyancy which should make the home of a young couple joyous.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading There was danger of settling down to a humdrum sort of life, free from strife, perhaps, but at the same time devoid of that buoyancy which should make the home of a young couple joyous.
being full of or promoting cheer; having or showing good spirits
From this reading Though the mother-in-law’s presence was less oppressive than formerly, there was now a pensiveness, an air of departed glory about it, that was not cheerful.
Clara
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading George, with his lively ways, and Clara, with her sparkling vivacity, were away on their wedding tour, and our good friend, Mr. Desmond, to whom we had taken a great liking, was about to sail for an indefinite absence in foreign lands.
a small house with a single story
From this reading We were feeling a little solemn at the cottage.
a pair who associate with one another
From this reading There was danger of settling down to a humdrum sort of life, free from strife, perhaps, but at the same time devoid of that buoyancy which should make the home of a young couple joyous.
the condition of being susceptible to harm or injury
From this reading There was danger of settling down to a humdrum sort of life, free from strife, perhaps, but at the same time devoid of that buoyancy which should make the home of a young couple joyous.
well in the past; former
From this reading Though the mother-in-law’s presence was less oppressive than formerly, there was now a pensiveness, an air of departed glory about it, that was not cheerful.
Desmond
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading George, with his lively ways, and Clara, with her sparkling vivacity, were away on their wedding tour, and our good friend, Mr. Desmond, to whom we had taken a great liking, was about to sail for an indefinite absence in foreign lands.
devoidadjectiveUS /dɪˈvɔɪd/
completely wanting or lacking
From this reading There was danger of settling down to a humdrum sort of life, free from strife, perhaps, but at the same time devoid of that buoyancy which should make the home of a young couple joyous.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading There was danger of settling down to a humdrum sort of life, free from strife, perhaps, but at the same time devoid of that buoyancy which should make the home of a young couple joyous.
the experiencing of affective and emotional states
From this reading We were feeling a little solemn at the cottage.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading George, with his lively ways, and Clara, with her sparkling vivacity, were away on their wedding tour, and our good friend, Mr. Desmond, to whom we had taken a great liking, was about to sail for an indefinite absence in foreign lands.
of concern to or concerning the affairs of other nations (other than your own)
From this reading George, with his lively ways, and Clara, with her sparkling vivacity, were away on their wedding tour, and our good friend, Mr. Desmond, to whom we had taken a great liking, was about to sail for an indefinite absence in foreign lands.
formerlyadverbUS /ˈfɔːrmərli/
at a previous time
From this reading Though the mother-in-law’s presence was less oppressive than formerly, there was now a pensiveness, an air of departed glory about it, that was not cheerful.
grant freedom to; free from confinement
From this reading There was danger of settling down to a humdrum sort of life, free from strife, perhaps, but at the same time devoid of that buoyancy which should make the home of a young couple joyous.
a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading George, with his lively ways, and Clara, with her sparkling vivacity, were away on their wedding tour, and our good friend, Mr. Desmond, to whom we had taken a great liking, was about to sail for an indefinite absence in foreign lands.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading There was danger of settling down to a humdrum sort of life, free from strife, perhaps, but at the same time devoid of that buoyancy which should make the home of a young couple joyous.
Christian martyr; patron saint of England; hero of the legend of Saint George and the Dragon in which he slew a dragon and saved a princess (?-303)
From this reading George, with his lively ways, and Clara, with her sparkling vivacity, were away on their wedding tour, and our good friend, Mr. Desmond, to whom we had taken a great liking, was about to sail for an indefinite absence in foreign lands.
a state of high honor
From this reading Though the mother-in-law’s presence was less oppressive than formerly, there was now a pensiveness, an air of departed glory about it, that was not cheerful.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading George, with his lively ways, and Clara, with her sparkling vivacity, were away on their wedding tour, and our good friend, Mr. Desmond, to whom we had taken a great liking, was about to sail for an indefinite absence in foreign lands.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading George, with his lively ways, and Clara, with her sparkling vivacity, were away on their wedding tour, and our good friend, Mr. Desmond, to whom we had taken a great liking, was about to sail for an indefinite absence in foreign lands.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading George, with his lively ways, and Clara, with her sparkling vivacity, were away on their wedding tour, and our good friend, Mr. Desmond, to whom we had taken a great liking, was about to sail for an indefinite absence in foreign lands.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading George, with his lively ways, and Clara, with her sparkling vivacity, were away on their wedding tour, and our good friend, Mr. Desmond, to whom we had taken a great liking, was about to sail for an indefinite absence in foreign lands.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading George, with his lively ways, and Clara, with her sparkling vivacity, were away on their wedding tour, and our good friend, Mr. Desmond, to whom we had taken a great liking, was about to sail for an indefinite absence in foreign lands.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading There was danger of settling down to a humdrum sort of life, free from strife, perhaps, but at the same time devoid of that buoyancy which should make the home of a young couple joyous.
humdrumadjectiveUS /ˈhʌmdrʌm/
not challenging; dull and lacking excitement
From this reading There was danger of settling down to a humdrum sort of life, free from strife, perhaps, but at the same time devoid of that buoyancy which should make the home of a young couple joyous.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading George, with his lively ways, and Clara, with her sparkling vivacity, were away on their wedding tour, and our good friend, Mr. Desmond, to whom we had taken a great liking, was about to sail for an indefinite absence in foreign lands.
indefiniteadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈdefənət/
vague or not clearly defined or stated
From this reading George, with his lively ways, and Clara, with her sparkling vivacity, were away on their wedding tour, and our good friend, Mr. Desmond, to whom we had taken a great liking, was about to sail for an indefinite absence in foreign lands.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Though the mother-in-law’s presence was less oppressive than formerly, there was now a pensiveness, an air of departed glory about it, that was not cheerful.
joyousadjectiveUS /ˈdʒɔɪəs/
full of or characterized by joy
From this reading There was danger of settling down to a humdrum sort of life, free from strife, perhaps, but at the same time devoid of that buoyancy which should make the home of a young couple joyous.
plural of “land” — the land on which real estate is located
From this reading George, with his lively ways, and Clara, with her sparkling vivacity, were away on their wedding tour, and our good friend, Mr. Desmond, to whom we had taken a great liking, was about to sail for an indefinite absence in foreign lands.
used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs
From this reading Though the mother-in-law’s presence was less oppressive than formerly, there was now a pensiveness, an air of departed glory about it, that was not cheerful.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading There was danger of settling down to a humdrum sort of life, free from strife, perhaps, but at the same time devoid of that buoyancy which should make the home of a young couple joyous.
likingnounUS /ˈlaɪkɪŋ/
a feeling of pleasure and enjoyment
From this reading George, with his lively ways, and Clara, with her sparkling vivacity, were away on their wedding tour, and our good friend, Mr. Desmond, to whom we had taken a great liking, was about to sail for an indefinite absence in foreign lands.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading We were feeling a little solemn at the cottage.
full of life and energy
From this reading George, with his lively ways, and Clara, with her sparkling vivacity, were away on their wedding tour, and our good friend, Mr. Desmond, to whom we had taken a great liking, was about to sail for an indefinite absence in foreign lands.
engage in
From this reading There was danger of settling down to a humdrum sort of life, free from strife, perhaps, but at the same time devoid of that buoyancy which should make the home of a young couple joyous.
mother-in-law's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Though the mother-in-law’s presence was less oppressive than formerly, there was now a pensiveness, an air of departed glory about it, that was not cheerful.
a form of address for a man
From this reading George, with his lively ways, and Clara, with her sparkling vivacity, were away on their wedding tour, and our good friend, Mr. Desmond, to whom we had taken a great liking, was about to sail for an indefinite absence in foreign lands.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Though the mother-in-law’s presence was less oppressive than formerly, there was now a pensiveness, an air of departed glory about it, that was not cheerful.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Though the mother-in-law’s presence was less oppressive than formerly, there was now a pensiveness, an air of departed glory about it, that was not cheerful.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Though the mother-in-law’s presence was less oppressive than formerly, there was now a pensiveness, an air of departed glory about it, that was not cheerful.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading George, with his lively ways, and Clara, with her sparkling vivacity, were away on their wedding tour, and our good friend, Mr. Desmond, to whom we had taken a great liking, was about to sail for an indefinite absence in foreign lands.
oppressiveadjectiveUS /əˈpresɪv/
weighing heavily on the senses or spirit
From this reading Though the mother-in-law’s presence was less oppressive than formerly, there was now a pensiveness, an air of departed glory about it, that was not cheerful.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading George, with his lively ways, and Clara, with her sparkling vivacity, were away on their wedding tour, and our good friend, Mr. Desmond, to whom we had taken a great liking, was about to sail for an indefinite absence in foreign lands.
pensivenessnounUS /ˈpensɪvnes/
persistent morbid meditation on a problem
From this reading Though the mother-in-law’s presence was less oppressive than formerly, there was now a pensiveness, an air of departed glory about it, that was not cheerful.
by chance
From this reading There was danger of settling down to a humdrum sort of life, free from strife, perhaps, but at the same time devoid of that buoyancy which should make the home of a young couple joyous.
the state of being present; current existence
From this reading Though the mother-in-law’s presence was less oppressive than formerly, there was now a pensiveness, an air of departed glory about it, that was not cheerful.
traverse or travel on (a body of water)
From this reading George, with his lively ways, and Clara, with her sparkling vivacity, were away on their wedding tour, and our good friend, Mr. Desmond, to whom we had taken a great liking, was about to sail for an indefinite absence in foreign lands.
Identical; not different.
From this reading There was danger of settling down to a humdrum sort of life, free from strife, perhaps, but at the same time devoid of that buoyancy which should make the home of a young couple joyous.
settlingnounUS /ˈsetəlɪŋ/
a gradual sinking to a lower level
From this reading There was danger of settling down to a humdrum sort of life, free from strife, perhaps, but at the same time devoid of that buoyancy which should make the home of a young couple joyous.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading There was danger of settling down to a humdrum sort of life, free from strife, perhaps, but at the same time devoid of that buoyancy which should make the home of a young couple joyous.
dignified and somber in manner or character and committed to keeping promises
From this reading We were feeling a little solemn at the cottage.
a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality
From this reading There was danger of settling down to a humdrum sort of life, free from strife, perhaps, but at the same time devoid of that buoyancy which should make the home of a young couple joyous.
sparklingadjectiveUS /ˈspɑːrklɪŋ/
shining with brilliant points of light like stars
From this reading George, with his lively ways, and Clara, with her sparkling vivacity, were away on their wedding tour, and our good friend, Mr. Desmond, to whom we had taken a great liking, was about to sail for an indefinite absence in foreign lands.
strifenounUS /straɪf/
lack of agreement or harmony
From this reading There was danger of settling down to a humdrum sort of life, free from strife, perhaps, but at the same time devoid of that buoyancy which should make the home of a young couple joyous.
the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you
From this reading A SURPRISE.
takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading George, with his lively ways, and Clara, with her sparkling vivacity, were away on their wedding tour, and our good friend, Mr. Desmond, to whom we had taken a great liking, was about to sail for an indefinite absence in foreign lands.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Though the mother-in-law’s presence was less oppressive than formerly, there was now a pensiveness, an air of departed glory about it, that was not cheerful.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Though the mother-in-law’s presence was less oppressive than formerly, there was now a pensiveness, an air of departed glory about it, that was not cheerful.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading We were feeling a little solemn at the cottage.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading George, with his lively ways, and Clara, with her sparkling vivacity, were away on their wedding tour, and our good friend, Mr. Desmond, to whom we had taken a great liking, was about to sail for an indefinite absence in foreign lands.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Though the mother-in-law’s presence was less oppressive than formerly, there was now a pensiveness, an air of departed glory about it, that was not cheerful.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading Though the mother-in-law’s presence was less oppressive than formerly, there was now a pensiveness, an air of departed glory about it, that was not cheerful.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading There was danger of settling down to a humdrum sort of life, free from strife, perhaps, but at the same time devoid of that buoyancy which should make the home of a young couple joyous.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading George, with his lively ways, and Clara, with her sparkling vivacity, were away on their wedding tour, and our good friend, Mr. Desmond, to whom we had taken a great liking, was about to sail for an indefinite absence in foreign lands.
tournounUS /tʊr/
a journey or route all the way around a particular place or area
From this reading George, with his lively ways, and Clara, with her sparkling vivacity, were away on their wedding tour, and our good friend, Mr. Desmond, to whom we had taken a great liking, was about to sail for an indefinite absence in foreign lands.
vivacitynoun
characterized by high spirits and animation
From this reading George, with his lively ways, and Clara, with her sparkling vivacity, were away on their wedding tour, and our good friend, Mr. Desmond, to whom we had taken a great liking, was about to sail for an indefinite absence in foreign lands.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading George, with his lively ways, and Clara, with her sparkling vivacity, were away on their wedding tour, and our good friend, Mr. Desmond, to whom we had taken a great liking, was about to sail for an indefinite absence in foreign lands.
structure consisting of a sloping way down to the water from the place where ships are built or repaired
From this reading George, with his lively ways, and Clara, with her sparkling vivacity, were away on their wedding tour, and our good friend, Mr. Desmond, to whom we had taken a great liking, was about to sail for an indefinite absence in foreign lands.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading We were feeling a little solemn at the cottage.
the social event at which the ceremony of marriage is performed
From this reading George, with his lively ways, and Clara, with her sparkling vivacity, were away on their wedding tour, and our good friend, Mr. Desmond, to whom we had taken a great liking, was about to sail for an indefinite absence in foreign lands.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading We were feeling a little solemn at the cottage.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading There was danger of settling down to a humdrum sort of life, free from strife, perhaps, but at the same time devoid of that buoyancy which should make the home of a young couple joyous.
the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading George, with his lively ways, and Clara, with her sparkling vivacity, were away on their wedding tour, and our good friend, Mr. Desmond, to whom we had taken a great liking, was about to sail for an indefinite absence in foreign lands.
in the company of; together with
From this reading George, with his lively ways, and Clara, with her sparkling vivacity, were away on their wedding tour, and our good friend, Mr. Desmond, to whom we had taken a great liking, was about to sail for an indefinite absence in foreign lands.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading There was danger of settling down to a humdrum sort of life, free from strife, perhaps, but at the same time devoid of that buoyancy which should make the home of a young couple joyous.
