used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading "How about a pinch of snuff?" he was saying, offering the women his snuff-box.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading "How about a pinch of snuff?" he was saying, offering the women his snuff-box.
agedadjectiveUS /eɪdʒd/
advanced in years; (“aged” is pronounced as two syllables)
From this reading He was clasping his hands, shrugging with the cold, and, with an aged chuckle, pinching first the housemaid, then the cook.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading He was clasping his hands, shrugging with the cold, and, with an aged chuckle, pinching first the housemaid, then the cook.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading At this moment grandfather was, no doubt, standing at the gate, screwing up his eyes at the red windows of the church, stamping with his high felt boots, and joking with the servants.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At this moment grandfather was, no doubt, standing at the gate, screwing up his eyes at the red windows of the church, stamping with his high felt boots, and joking with the servants.
beltnounUS /belt/
endless loop of flexible material between two rotating shafts or pulleys
From this reading His little mallet was hanging on his belt.
plural of “boot” — footwear that covers the whole foot and lower leg
From this reading At this moment grandfather was, no doubt, standing at the gate, screwing up his eyes at the red windows of the church, stamping with his high felt boots, and joking with the servants.
chucklenounUS /ˈtʃʌkəl/
a soft partly suppressed laugh
From this reading He was clasping his hands, shrugging with the cold, and, with an aged chuckle, pinching first the housemaid, then the cook.
one of the groups of Christians who have their own beliefs and forms of worship
From this reading At this moment grandfather was, no doubt, standing at the gate, screwing up his eyes at the red windows of the church, stamping with his high felt boots, and joking with the servants.
clasping
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He was clasping his hands, shrugging with the cold, and, with an aged chuckle, pinching first the housemaid, then the cook.
having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration
From this reading He was clasping his hands, shrugging with the cold, and, with an aged chuckle, pinching first the housemaid, then the cook.
prepare a hot meal
From this reading He was clasping his hands, shrugging with the cold, and, with an aged chuckle, pinching first the housemaid, then the cook.
the state of being unsure of something
From this reading At this moment grandfather was, no doubt, standing at the gate, screwing up his eyes at the red windows of the church, stamping with his high felt boots, and joking with the servants.
opinion or judgment
From this reading At this moment grandfather was, no doubt, standing at the gate, screwing up his eyes at the red windows of the church, stamping with his high felt boots, and joking with the servants.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading At this moment grandfather was, no doubt, standing at the gate, screwing up his eyes at the red windows of the church, stamping with his high felt boots, and joking with the servants.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading He was clasping his hands, shrugging with the cold, and, with an aged chuckle, pinching first the housemaid, then the cook.
a movable barrier in a fence or wall
From this reading At this moment grandfather was, no doubt, standing at the gate, screwing up his eyes at the red windows of the church, stamping with his high felt boots, and joking with the servants.
the father of your father or mother
From this reading At this moment grandfather was, no doubt, standing at the gate, screwing up his eyes at the red windows of the church, stamping with his high felt boots, and joking with the servants.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading He was clasping his hands, shrugging with the cold, and, with an aged chuckle, pinching first the housemaid, then the cook.
decoration that is hung (as a tapestry) on a wall or over a window
From this reading His little mallet was hanging on his belt.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He was clasping his hands, shrugging with the cold, and, with an aged chuckle, pinching first the housemaid, then the cook.
greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading At this moment grandfather was, no doubt, standing at the gate, screwing up his eyes at the red windows of the church, stamping with his high felt boots, and joking with the servants.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading At this moment grandfather was, no doubt, standing at the gate, screwing up his eyes at the red windows of the church, stamping with his high felt boots, and joking with the servants.
housemaidnoun
a female domestic
From this reading He was clasping his hands, shrugging with the cold, and, with an aged chuckle, pinching first the housemaid, then the cook.
How
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "How about a pinch of snuff?" he was saying, offering the women his snuff-box.
jokingadjectiveUS /ˈdʒoʊkɪŋ/
characterized by jokes and good humor
From this reading At this moment grandfather was, no doubt, standing at the gate, screwing up his eyes at the red windows of the church, stamping with his high felt boots, and joking with the servants.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading His little mallet was hanging on his belt.
malletnounUS /ˈmælɪt/
a sports implement with a long handle and a head like a hammer; used in sports (polo or croquet) to hit a ball
From this reading His little mallet was hanging on his belt.
a particular point in time
From this reading At this moment grandfather was, no doubt, standing at the gate, screwing up his eyes at the red windows of the church, stamping with his high felt boots, and joking with the servants.
not any; not one
From this reading At this moment grandfather was, no doubt, standing at the gate, screwing up his eyes at the red windows of the church, stamping with his high felt boots, and joking with the servants.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading At this moment grandfather was, no doubt, standing at the gate, screwing up his eyes at the red windows of the church, stamping with his high felt boots, and joking with the servants.
offeringnounUS /ˈɔːfərɪŋ/
something offered (as a proposal or bid)
From this reading "How about a pinch of snuff?" he was saying, offering the women his snuff-box.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading His little mallet was hanging on his belt.
pinchverbUS /pɪntʃ/
squeeze tightly between the fingers
From this reading "How about a pinch of snuff?" he was saying, offering the women his snuff-box.
pinchingverbUS /ˈpɪntʃɪŋ/
-ing form of “pinch” — squeeze tightly between the fingers
From this reading He was clasping his hands, shrugging with the cold, and, with an aged chuckle, pinching first the housemaid, then the cook.
red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood
From this reading At this moment grandfather was, no doubt, standing at the gate, screwing up his eyes at the red windows of the church, stamping with his high felt boots, and joking with the servants.
a word or phrase that particular people use in particular situations
From this reading "How about a pinch of snuff?" he was saying, offering the women his snuff-box.
screwingnounUS /ˈskruːɪŋ/
slang for sexual intercourse
From this reading At this moment grandfather was, no doubt, standing at the gate, screwing up his eyes at the red windows of the church, stamping with his high felt boots, and joking with the servants.
plural of “servant” — a person working in the service of another (especially in the household)
From this reading At this moment grandfather was, no doubt, standing at the gate, screwing up his eyes at the red windows of the church, stamping with his high felt boots, and joking with the servants.
shruggingverbUS /ˈʃrʌɡɪŋ/
inflected form of “shrug” — raise one's shoulders to indicate indifference or resignation
From this reading He was clasping his hands, shrugging with the cold, and, with an aged chuckle, pinching first the housemaid, then the cook.
sneezenounUS /sniːz/
a symptom consisting of the involuntary expulsion of air from the nose
From this reading The women would take a sniff and sneeze.
sniffverbUS /snɪf/
perceive by inhaling through the nose
From this reading The women would take a sniff and sneeze.
snuffnounUS /snʌf/
the charred portion of a candlewick
From this reading "How about a pinch of snuff?" he was saying, offering the women his snuff-box.
snuff-box
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "How about a pinch of snuff?" he was saying, offering the women his snuff-box.
stampingverbUS /ˈstæmpɪŋ/
-ing form of “stamp” — walk heavily
From this reading At this moment grandfather was, no doubt, standing at the gate, screwing up his eyes at the red windows of the church, stamping with his high felt boots, and joking with the servants.
having a supporting base
From this reading At this moment grandfather was, no doubt, standing at the gate, screwing up his eyes at the red windows of the church, stamping with his high felt boots, and joking with the servants.
carry out
From this reading The women would take a sniff and sneeze.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading At this moment grandfather was, no doubt, standing at the gate, screwing up his eyes at the red windows of the church, stamping with his high felt boots, and joking with the servants.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading He was clasping his hands, shrugging with the cold, and, with an aged chuckle, pinching first the housemaid, then the cook.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading At this moment grandfather was, no doubt, standing at the gate, screwing up his eyes at the red windows of the church, stamping with his high felt boots, and joking with the servants.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading At this moment grandfather was, no doubt, standing at the gate, screwing up his eyes at the red windows of the church, stamping with his high felt boots, and joking with the servants.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading At this moment grandfather was, no doubt, standing at the gate, screwing up his eyes at the red windows of the church, stamping with his high felt boots, and joking with the servants.
(trademark) an operating system with a graphical user interface
From this reading At this moment grandfather was, no doubt, standing at the gate, screwing up his eyes at the red windows of the church, stamping with his high felt boots, and joking with the servants.
in the company of; together with
From this reading At this moment grandfather was, no doubt, standing at the gate, screwing up his eyes at the red windows of the church, stamping with his high felt boots, and joking with the servants.
plural of “woman” — an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading "How about a pinch of snuff?" he was saying, offering the women his snuff-box.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading The women would take a sniff and sneeze.
