used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading But even a double quantity of light did not bring good cheer to this dull and solemn apartment.
amateurnounUS /ˈæmətɜːr/
someone who pursues a study or sport as a pastime
From this reading The best room was not by any means so bright, so cheerful, or so kindly as the family parlour, with its family disarrangement, and the amateur paperhanging upon its walls.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Before their guests arrived the girls made an effort to improve its appearance.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The best room was not by any means so bright, so cheerful, or so kindly as the family parlour, with its family disarrangement, and the amateur paperhanging upon its walls.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading The best room was not by any means so bright, so cheerful, or so kindly as the family parlour, with its family disarrangement, and the amateur paperhanging upon its walls.
a suite of rooms usually on one floor of an apartment house
From this reading But even a double quantity of light did not bring good cheer to this dull and solemn apartment.
outward or visible aspect of a person or thing
From this reading Before their guests arrived the girls made an effort to improve its appearance.
past form of “arrive” — reach a destination; arrive by movement or progress
From this reading Before their guests arrived the girls made an effort to improve its appearance.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The best room was not by any means so bright, so cheerful, or so kindly as the family parlour, with its family disarrangement, and the amateur paperhanging upon its walls.
delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration
From this reading They pulled the last beautiful bunches of the lilac to fill the little glass vases, and placed candles in the ornamental glass candlesticks upon the mantelpiece.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Before their guests arrived the girls made an effort to improve its appearance.
the supreme effort one can make
From this reading The best room was not by any means so bright, so cheerful, or so kindly as the family parlour, with its family disarrangement, and the amateur paperhanging upon its walls.
emitting or reflecting light readily or in large amounts
From this reading The best room was not by any means so bright, so cheerful, or so kindly as the family parlour, with its family disarrangement, and the amateur paperhanging upon its walls.
take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading But even a double quantity of light did not bring good cheer to this dull and solemn apartment.
bunchesnounUS /ˈbʌntʃəz/
plural of “bunch” — a grouping of a number of similar things
From this reading They pulled the last beautiful bunches of the lilac to fill the little glass vases, and placed candles in the ornamental glass candlesticks upon the mantelpiece.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But even a double quantity of light did not bring good cheer to this dull and solemn apartment.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The best room was not by any means so bright, so cheerful, or so kindly as the family parlour, with its family disarrangement, and the amateur paperhanging upon its walls.
candlesnounUS /ˈkændəlz/
plural of “candle” — stick of wax with a wick in the middle
From this reading They pulled the last beautiful bunches of the lilac to fill the little glass vases, and placed candles in the ornamental glass candlesticks upon the mantelpiece.
candlesticksnounUS /ˈkændəlstɪks/
plural of “candlestick” — a holder with sockets for candles
From this reading They pulled the last beautiful bunches of the lilac to fill the little glass vases, and placed candles in the ornamental glass candlesticks upon the mantelpiece.
give encouragement to
From this reading But even a double quantity of light did not bring good cheer to this dull and solemn apartment.
being full of or promoting cheer; having or showing good spirits
From this reading The best room was not by any means so bright, so cheerful, or so kindly as the family parlour, with its family disarrangement, and the amateur paperhanging upon its walls.
an institution created to conduct business
From this reading COMPANY.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading But even a double quantity of light did not bring good cheer to this dull and solemn apartment.
disarrangementnoun
a condition in which an orderly system has been disrupted
From this reading The best room was not by any means so bright, so cheerful, or so kindly as the family parlour, with its family disarrangement, and the amateur paperhanging upon its walls.
increase twofold
From this reading But even a double quantity of light did not bring good cheer to this dull and solemn apartment.
lacking in liveliness or animation
From this reading But even a double quantity of light did not bring good cheer to this dull and solemn apartment.
earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
From this reading Before their guests arrived the girls made an effort to improve its appearance.
divisible by two
From this reading But even a double quantity of light did not bring good cheer to this dull and solemn apartment.
a social unit living together
From this reading The best room was not by any means so bright, so cheerful, or so kindly as the family parlour, with its family disarrangement, and the amateur paperhanging upon its walls.
make full, also in a metaphorical sense
From this reading They pulled the last beautiful bunches of the lilac to fill the little glass vases, and placed candles in the ornamental glass candlesticks upon the mantelpiece.
plural of “girl” — a young female
From this reading Before their guests arrived the girls made an effort to improve its appearance.
a brittle transparent solid with irregular atomic structure
From this reading They pulled the last beautiful bunches of the lilac to fill the little glass vases, and placed candles in the ornamental glass candlesticks upon the mantelpiece.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading But even a double quantity of light did not bring good cheer to this dull and solemn apartment.
plural of “guest” — a visitor to whom hospitality is extended
From this reading Before their guests arrived the girls made an effort to improve its appearance.
improveverbUS /ˌɪmˈpruːv/
to make better
From this reading Before their guests arrived the girls made an effort to improve its appearance.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading They pulled the last beautiful bunches of the lilac to fill the little glass vases, and placed candles in the ornamental glass candlesticks upon the mantelpiece.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading The best room was not by any means so bright, so cheerful, or so kindly as the family parlour, with its family disarrangement, and the amateur paperhanging upon its walls.
showing or motivated by sympathy and understanding and generosity
From this reading The best room was not by any means so bright, so cheerful, or so kindly as the family parlour, with its family disarrangement, and the amateur paperhanging upon its walls.
immediately past
From this reading They pulled the last beautiful bunches of the lilac to fill the little glass vases, and placed candles in the ornamental glass candlesticks upon the mantelpiece.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading But even a double quantity of light did not bring good cheer to this dull and solemn apartment.
lilacnounUS /ˈlaɪlæk/
any of various plants of the genus Syringa having large panicles of usually fragrant flowers
From this reading They pulled the last beautiful bunches of the lilac to fill the little glass vases, and placed candles in the ornamental glass candlesticks upon the mantelpiece.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading They pulled the last beautiful bunches of the lilac to fill the little glass vases, and placed candles in the ornamental glass candlesticks upon the mantelpiece.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading Before their guests arrived the girls made an effort to improve its appearance.
mantelpiecenoun
shelf that projects from wall above fireplace
From this reading They pulled the last beautiful bunches of the lilac to fill the little glass vases, and placed candles in the ornamental glass candlesticks upon the mantelpiece.
thing or person that acts to produce a particular effect or achieve an end
From this reading The best room was not by any means so bright, so cheerful, or so kindly as the family parlour, with its family disarrangement, and the amateur paperhanging upon its walls.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The best room was not by any means so bright, so cheerful, or so kindly as the family parlour, with its family disarrangement, and the amateur paperhanging upon its walls.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading They pulled the last beautiful bunches of the lilac to fill the little glass vases, and placed candles in the ornamental glass candlesticks upon the mantelpiece.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading The best room was not by any means so bright, so cheerful, or so kindly as the family parlour, with its family disarrangement, and the amateur paperhanging upon its walls.
ornamentalnounUS /ˌɔːrnəˈmentəl/
any plant grown for its beauty or ornamental value
From this reading They pulled the last beautiful bunches of the lilac to fill the little glass vases, and placed candles in the ornamental glass candlesticks upon the mantelpiece.
paperhangingnoun
the application of wallpaper
From this reading The best room was not by any means so bright, so cheerful, or so kindly as the family parlour, with its family disarrangement, and the amateur paperhanging upon its walls.
parlournounUS /ˈpɑːrlər/
reception room in an inn or club where visitors can be received
From this reading The best room was not by any means so bright, so cheerful, or so kindly as the family parlour, with its family disarrangement, and the amateur paperhanging upon its walls.
situated in a particular spot or position
From this reading They pulled the last beautiful bunches of the lilac to fill the little glass vases, and placed candles in the ornamental glass candlesticks upon the mantelpiece.
past form of “pull” — cause to move by pulling
From this reading They pulled the last beautiful bunches of the lilac to fill the little glass vases, and placed candles in the ornamental glass candlesticks upon the mantelpiece.
quantitynounUS /ˈkwɑːntəti/
how much there is or how many there are of something that you can quantify
From this reading But even a double quantity of light did not bring good cheer to this dull and solemn apartment.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading The best room was not by any means so bright, so cheerful, or so kindly as the family parlour, with its family disarrangement, and the amateur paperhanging upon its walls.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading The best room was not by any means so bright, so cheerful, or so kindly as the family parlour, with its family disarrangement, and the amateur paperhanging upon its walls.
dignified and somber in manner or character and committed to keeping promises
From this reading But even a double quantity of light did not bring good cheer to this dull and solemn apartment.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The best room was not by any means so bright, so cheerful, or so kindly as the family parlour, with its family disarrangement, and the amateur paperhanging upon its walls.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Before their guests arrived the girls made an effort to improve its appearance.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They pulled the last beautiful bunches of the lilac to fill the little glass vases, and placed candles in the ornamental glass candlesticks upon the mantelpiece.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading But even a double quantity of light did not bring good cheer to this dull and solemn apartment.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Before their guests arrived the girls made an effort to improve its appearance.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading The best room was not by any means so bright, so cheerful, or so kindly as the family parlour, with its family disarrangement, and the amateur paperhanging upon its walls.
vasesnounUS /ˈveɪsəz/
plural of “vas” — a tube in which a body fluid circulates
From this reading They pulled the last beautiful bunches of the lilac to fill the little glass vases, and placed candles in the ornamental glass candlesticks upon the mantelpiece.
plural of “wall” — an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure
From this reading The best room was not by any means so bright, so cheerful, or so kindly as the family parlour, with its family disarrangement, and the amateur paperhanging upon its walls.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The best room was not by any means so bright, so cheerful, or so kindly as the family parlour, with its family disarrangement, and the amateur paperhanging upon its walls.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The best room was not by any means so bright, so cheerful, or so kindly as the family parlour, with its family disarrangement, and the amateur paperhanging upon its walls.
