Chapter IV · Chapter 4

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading At length a carriage drove hastily to the door, and she returned to her seat.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Colonel Vincent advanced into the room with two daughters, and in a cheerful tone exclaimed, "I hope, my dear Miss Adair, we are your first scholars; we have strained every nerve to surprise you with an early visit, and an auspicious one I hope it will prove."

farther along in physical or mental development

From this reading Colonel Vincent advanced into the room with two daughters, and in a cheerful tone exclaimed, "I hope, my dear Miss Adair, we are your first scholars; we have strained every nerve to surprise you with an early visit, and an auspicious one I hope it will prove."

troubled emotionally and usually deeply

From this reading With a flushed and agitated countenance she had now to welcome one of her mother's earliest friends.

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading Colonel Vincent advanced into the room with two daughters, and in a cheerful tone exclaimed, "I hope, my dear Miss Adair, we are your first scholars; we have strained every nerve to surprise you with an early visit, and an auspicious one I hope it will prove."

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading At length a carriage drove hastily to the door, and she returned to her seat.

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading Colonel Vincent advanced into the room with two daughters, and in a cheerful tone exclaimed, "I hope, my dear Miss Adair, we are your first scholars; we have strained every nerve to surprise you with an early visit, and an auspicious one I hope it will prove."

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Elizabeth with some degree of impatience stood at the drawing-room window, looking for their first pupil, on the morning the school was opened.

auguring favorable circumstances and good luck

From this reading Colonel Vincent advanced into the room with two daughters, and in a cheerful tone exclaimed, "I hope, my dear Miss Adair, we are your first scholars; we have strained every nerve to surprise you with an early visit, and an auspicious one I hope it will prove."

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading "I hope so too, Sir," said Elizabeth quickly; "but I thought we should have had the pleasure of seeing Mrs. Vincent."

a railcar where passengers ride

From this reading At length a carriage drove hastily to the door, and she returned to her seat.

being full of or promoting cheer; having or showing good spirits

From this reading Colonel Vincent advanced into the room with two daughters, and in a cheerful tone exclaimed, "I hope, my dear Miss Adair, we are your first scholars; we have strained every nerve to surprise you with an early visit, and an auspicious one I hope it will prove."

a commissioned military officer in the United States Army or Air Force or Marines who ranks above a lieutenant colonel and below a brigadier general

From this reading Colonel Vincent advanced into the room with two daughters, and in a cheerful tone exclaimed, "I hope, my dear Miss Adair, we are your first scholars; we have strained every nerve to surprise you with an early visit, and an auspicious one I hope it will prove."

the appearance conveyed by a person's face

From this reading With a flushed and agitated countenance she had now to welcome one of her mother's earliest friends.

plural of “daughter” — a female human offspring

From this reading Colonel Vincent advanced into the room with two daughters, and in a cheerful tone exclaimed, "I hope, my dear Miss Adair, we are your first scholars; we have strained every nerve to surprise you with an early visit, and an auspicious one I hope it will prove."

dearly loved

From this reading Colonel Vincent advanced into the room with two daughters, and in a cheerful tone exclaimed, "I hope, my dear Miss Adair, we are your first scholars; we have strained every nerve to surprise you with an early visit, and an auspicious one I hope it will prove."

a position on a scale of intensity or amount or quality

From this reading Elizabeth with some degree of impatience stood at the drawing-room window, looking for their first pupil, on the morning the school was opened.

a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle

From this reading At length a carriage drove hastily to the door, and she returned to her seat.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Elizabeth with some degree of impatience stood at the drawing-room window, looking for their first pupil, on the morning the school was opened.

a group of animals (a herd or flock) moving together

From this reading At length a carriage drove hastily to the door, and she returned to her seat.

(comparative and superlative of “early”) more early than; most early

From this reading With a flushed and agitated countenance she had now to welcome one of her mother's earliest friends.

at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time

From this reading Colonel Vincent advanced into the room with two daughters, and in a cheerful tone exclaimed, "I hope, my dear Miss Adair, we are your first scholars; we have strained every nerve to surprise you with an early visit, and an auspicious one I hope it will prove."

daughter of George VI who became the Queen of England and Northern Ireland in 1952 on the death of her father (1926-)

From this reading Elizabeth with some degree of impatience stood at the drawing-room window, looking for their first pupil, on the morning the school was opened.

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading Colonel Vincent advanced into the room with two daughters, and in a cheerful tone exclaimed, "I hope, my dear Miss Adair, we are your first scholars; we have strained every nerve to surprise you with an early visit, and an auspicious one I hope it will prove."

past form of “exclaim” — utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy

From this reading Colonel Vincent advanced into the room with two daughters, and in a cheerful tone exclaimed, "I hope, my dear Miss Adair, we are your first scholars; we have strained every nerve to surprise you with an early visit, and an auspicious one I hope it will prove."

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading Elizabeth with some degree of impatience stood at the drawing-room window, looking for their first pupil, on the morning the school was opened.

having the pinkish flush of health

From this reading With a flushed and agitated countenance she had now to welcome one of her mother's earliest friends.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Elizabeth with some degree of impatience stood at the drawing-room window, looking for their first pupil, on the morning the school was opened.

plural of “friend” — a person you know well and regard with affection and trust

From this reading With a flushed and agitated countenance she had now to welcome one of her mother's earliest friends.

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading With a flushed and agitated countenance she had now to welcome one of her mother's earliest friends.

in a hurried or hasty manner

From this reading At length a carriage drove hastily to the door, and she returned to her seat.

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Colonel Vincent advanced into the room with two daughters, and in a cheerful tone exclaimed, "I hope, my dear Miss Adair, we are your first scholars; we have strained every nerve to surprise you with an early visit, and an auspicious one I hope it will prove."

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading At length a carriage drove hastily to the door, and she returned to her seat.

a specific instance of feeling hopeful

From this reading Colonel Vincent advanced into the room with two daughters, and in a cheerful tone exclaimed, "I hope, my dear Miss Adair, we are your first scholars; we have strained every nerve to surprise you with an early visit, and an auspicious one I hope it will prove."

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading Colonel Vincent advanced into the room with two daughters, and in a cheerful tone exclaimed, "I hope, my dear Miss Adair, we are your first scholars; we have strained every nerve to surprise you with an early visit, and an auspicious one I hope it will prove."

a lack of patience; irritation with anything that causes delay

From this reading Elizabeth with some degree of impatience stood at the drawing-room window, looking for their first pupil, on the morning the school was opened.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading Colonel Vincent advanced into the room with two daughters, and in a cheerful tone exclaimed, "I hope, my dear Miss Adair, we are your first scholars; we have strained every nerve to surprise you with an early visit, and an auspicious one I hope it will prove."

moving to the inside of something

From this reading Colonel Vincent advanced into the room with two daughters, and in a cheerful tone exclaimed, "I hope, my dear Miss Adair, we are your first scholars; we have strained every nerve to surprise you with an early visit, and an auspicious one I hope it will prove."

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Colonel Vincent advanced into the room with two daughters, and in a cheerful tone exclaimed, "I hope, my dear Miss Adair, we are your first scholars; we have strained every nerve to surprise you with an early visit, and an auspicious one I hope it will prove."

the linear extent in space from one end to the other; the longest dimension of something that is fixed in place

From this reading At length a carriage drove hastily to the door, and she returned to her seat.

the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually

From this reading Elizabeth with some degree of impatience stood at the drawing-room window, looking for their first pupil, on the morning the school was opened.

fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind

From this reading Colonel Vincent advanced into the room with two daughters, and in a cheerful tone exclaimed, "I hope, my dear Miss Adair, we are your first scholars; we have strained every nerve to surprise you with an early visit, and an auspicious one I hope it will prove."

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading Elizabeth with some degree of impatience stood at the drawing-room window, looking for their first pupil, on the morning the school was opened.

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 With a flushed and agitated countenance she had now to welcome one of her mother's earliest friends.

a form of address for a married woman

From this reading "I hope so too, Sir," said Elizabeth quickly; "but I thought we should have had the pleasure of seeing Mrs. Vincent."

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading Colonel Vincent advanced into the room with two daughters, and in a cheerful tone exclaimed, "I hope, my dear Miss Adair, we are your first scholars; we have strained every nerve to surprise you with an early visit, and an auspicious one I hope it will prove."

any bundle of nerve fibers running to various organs and tissues of the body

From this reading Colonel Vincent advanced into the room with two daughters, and in a cheerful tone exclaimed, "I hope, my dear Miss Adair, we are your first scholars; we have strained every nerve to surprise you with an early visit, and an auspicious one I hope it will prove."

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading With a flushed and agitated countenance she had now to welcome one of her mother's earliest friends.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Elizabeth with some degree of impatience stood at the drawing-room window, looking for their first pupil, on the morning the school was opened.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Elizabeth with some degree of impatience stood at the drawing-room window, looking for their first pupil, on the morning the school was opened.

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading With a flushed and agitated countenance she had now to welcome one of her mother's earliest friends.

used of mouth or eyes

From this reading Elizabeth with some degree of impatience stood at the drawing-room window, looking for their first pupil, on the morning the school was opened.

a fundamental feeling that is hard to define but that people desire to experience

From this reading "I hope so too, Sir," said Elizabeth quickly; "but I thought we should have had the pleasure of seeing Mrs. Vincent."

be shown or be found to be

From this reading Colonel Vincent advanced into the room with two daughters, and in a cheerful tone exclaimed, "I hope, my dear Miss Adair, we are your first scholars; we have strained every nerve to surprise you with an early visit, and an auspicious one I hope it will prove."

a learner who is enrolled in an educational institution

From this reading Elizabeth with some degree of impatience stood at the drawing-room window, looking for their first pupil, on the morning the school was opened.

with speed

From this reading "I hope so too, Sir," said Elizabeth quickly; "but I thought we should have had the pleasure of seeing Mrs. Vincent."

past form of “return” — go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before

From this reading At length a carriage drove hastily to the door, and she returned to her seat.

an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling

From this reading Colonel Vincent advanced into the room with two daughters, and in a cheerful tone exclaimed, "I hope, my dear Miss Adair, we are your first scholars; we have strained every nerve to surprise you with an early visit, and an auspicious one I hope it will prove."

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "I hope so too, Sir," said Elizabeth quickly; "but I thought we should have had the pleasure of seeing Mrs. Vincent."

plural of “scholar” — a learned person (especially in the humanities); someone who by long study has gained mastery in one or more disciplines

From this reading Colonel Vincent advanced into the room with two daughters, and in a cheerful tone exclaimed, "I hope, my dear Miss Adair, we are your first scholars; we have strained every nerve to surprise you with an early visit, and an auspicious one I hope it will prove."

an educational institution

From this reading Elizabeth with some degree of impatience stood at the drawing-room window, looking for their first pupil, on the morning the school was opened.

a space reserved for sitting (as in a theater or on a train or airplane)

From this reading At length a carriage drove hastily to the door, and she returned to her seat.

perception by means of the eyes

From this reading "I hope so too, Sir," said Elizabeth quickly; "but I thought we should have had the pleasure of seeing Mrs. Vincent."

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading At length a carriage drove hastily to the door, and she returned to her seat.

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading "I hope so too, Sir," said Elizabeth quickly; "but I thought we should have had the pleasure of seeing Mrs. Vincent."

term of address for a man

From this reading "I hope so too, Sir," said Elizabeth quickly; "but I thought we should have had the pleasure of seeing Mrs. Vincent."

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading "I hope so too, Sir," said Elizabeth quickly; "but I thought we should have had the pleasure of seeing Mrs. Vincent."

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading Elizabeth with some degree of impatience stood at the drawing-room window, looking for their first pupil, on the morning the school was opened.

Maintained an upright posture.

From this reading Elizabeth with some degree of impatience stood at the drawing-room window, looking for their first pupil, on the morning the school was opened.

lacking natural ease

From this reading Colonel Vincent advanced into the room with two daughters, and in a cheerful tone exclaimed, "I hope, my dear Miss Adair, we are your first scholars; we have strained every nerve to surprise you with an early visit, and an auspicious one I hope it will prove."

the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you

From this reading Colonel Vincent advanced into the room with two daughters, and in a cheerful tone exclaimed, "I hope, my dear Miss Adair, we are your first scholars; we have strained every nerve to surprise you with an early visit, and an auspicious one I hope it will prove."

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading Elizabeth with some degree of impatience stood at the drawing-room window, looking for their first pupil, on the morning the school was opened.

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading Elizabeth with some degree of impatience stood at the drawing-room window, looking for their first pupil, on the morning the school was opened.

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading "I hope so too, Sir," said Elizabeth quickly; "but I thought we should have had the pleasure of seeing Mrs. Vincent."

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading At length a carriage drove hastily to the door, and she returned to her seat.

the quality of a person's voice

From this reading Colonel Vincent advanced into the room with two daughters, and in a cheerful tone exclaimed, "I hope, my dear Miss Adair, we are your first scholars; we have strained every nerve to surprise you with an early visit, and an auspicious one I hope it will prove."

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading "I hope so too, Sir," said Elizabeth quickly; "but I thought we should have had the pleasure of seeing Mrs. Vincent."

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading Colonel Vincent advanced into the room with two daughters, and in a cheerful tone exclaimed, "I hope, my dear Miss Adair, we are your first scholars; we have strained every nerve to surprise you with an early visit, and an auspicious one I hope it will prove."

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Colonel Vincent advanced into the room with two daughters, and in a cheerful tone exclaimed, "I hope, my dear Miss Adair, we are your first scholars; we have strained every nerve to surprise you with an early visit, and an auspicious one I hope it will prove."

go to see a place, as for entertainment

From this reading Colonel Vincent advanced into the room with two daughters, and in a cheerful tone exclaimed, "I hope, my dear Miss Adair, we are your first scholars; we have strained every nerve to surprise you with an early visit, and an auspicious one I hope it will prove."

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Elizabeth with some degree of impatience stood at the drawing-room window, looking for their first pupil, on the morning the school was opened.

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading Colonel Vincent advanced into the room with two daughters, and in a cheerful tone exclaimed, "I hope, my dear Miss Adair, we are your first scholars; we have strained every nerve to surprise you with an early visit, and an auspicious one I hope it will prove."

accept gladly

From this reading With a flushed and agitated countenance she had now to welcome one of her mother's earliest friends.

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading Colonel Vincent advanced into the room with two daughters, and in a cheerful tone exclaimed, "I hope, my dear Miss Adair, we are your first scholars; we have strained every nerve to surprise you with an early visit, and an auspicious one I hope it will prove."

a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air

From this reading Elizabeth with some degree of impatience stood at the drawing-room window, looking for their first pupil, on the morning the school was opened.

in the company of; together with

From this reading Elizabeth with some degree of impatience stood at the drawing-room window, looking for their first pupil, on the morning the school was opened.

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Colonel Vincent advanced into the room with two daughters, and in a cheerful tone exclaimed, "I hope, my dear Miss Adair, we are your first scholars; we have strained every nerve to surprise you with an early visit, and an auspicious one I hope it will prove."

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Colonel Vincent advanced into the room with two daughters, and in a cheerful tone exclaimed, "I hope, my dear Miss Adair, we are your first scholars; we have strained every nerve to surprise you with an early visit, and an auspicious one I hope it will prove."