used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading When Mr. Charteris had concluded his ablutions, and sauntered into the verandah after a careful toilette, he there encountered Miss Devereux, who, having arrayed herself in a light Indian muslin dress, gracefully reclined upon one of the Cingalese couches.
ablutionsnounUS /əˈbluːʃənz/
plural of “ablution” — the ritual washing of a priest's hands or of sacred vessels
From this reading When Mr. Charteris had concluded his ablutions, and sauntered into the verandah after a careful toilette, he there encountered Miss Devereux, who, having arrayed herself in a light Indian muslin dress, gracefully reclined upon one of the Cingalese couches.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading When Mr. Charteris had concluded his ablutions, and sauntered into the verandah after a careful toilette, he there encountered Miss Devereux, who, having arrayed herself in a light Indian muslin dress, gracefully reclined upon one of the Cingalese couches.
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading 'Oh, Lord!' he inwardly ejaculated, as he afterwards confessed.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading When Mr. Charteris had concluded his ablutions, and sauntered into the verandah after a careful toilette, he there encountered Miss Devereux, who, having arrayed herself in a light Indian muslin dress, gracefully reclined upon one of the Cingalese couches.
a human limb; technically the part of the superior limb between the shoulder and the elbow but commonly used to refer to the whole superior limb
From this reading He took in at one rapturous glance her slender yet wondrously moulded form, her delicate hand, her rounded arm seen through the diaphanous fabric, her massed and shining hair, her eloquent face.
arrayedadjectiveUS /ərˈeɪd/
in ceremonial attire and paraphernalia
From this reading When Mr. Charteris had concluded his ablutions, and sauntered into the verandah after a careful toilette, he there encountered Miss Devereux, who, having arrayed herself in a light Indian muslin dress, gracefully reclined upon one of the Cingalese couches.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Her eyes involuntarily brightened as she partly raised herself from the couch and held out her hand with unaffected welcome.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading He took in at one rapturous glance her slender yet wondrously moulded form, her delicate hand, her rounded arm seen through the diaphanous fabric, her massed and shining hair, her eloquent face.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading His lonely life of late may have had something to do with it, but his ordinary well-maintained equilibrium nearly failed him before the resistless force of her charms.
brightenedverbUS /ˈbraɪtənd/
past form of “brighten” — make more cheerful through the use of color
From this reading Her eyes involuntarily brightened as she partly raised herself from the couch and held out her hand with unaffected welcome.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading His lonely life of late may have had something to do with it, but his ordinary well-maintained equilibrium nearly failed him before the resistless force of her charms.
exercising caution or showing care or attention
From this reading When Mr. Charteris had concluded his ablutions, and sauntered into the verandah after a careful toilette, he there encountered Miss Devereux, who, having arrayed herself in a light Indian muslin dress, gracefully reclined upon one of the Cingalese couches.
charmsnounUS /tʃɑːrmz/
plural of “charm” — attractiveness that interests or pleases or stimulates
From this reading His lonely life of late may have had something to do with it, but his ordinary well-maintained equilibrium nearly failed him before the resistless force of her charms.
Charteris
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When Mr. Charteris had concluded his ablutions, and sauntered into the verandah after a careful toilette, he there encountered Miss Devereux, who, having arrayed herself in a light Indian muslin dress, gracefully reclined upon one of the Cingalese couches.
Cingalese
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When Mr. Charteris had concluded his ablutions, and sauntered into the verandah after a careful toilette, he there encountered Miss Devereux, who, having arrayed herself in a light Indian muslin dress, gracefully reclined upon one of the Cingalese couches.
having come or been brought to a conclusion
From this reading When Mr. Charteris had concluded his ablutions, and sauntered into the verandah after a careful toilette, he there encountered Miss Devereux, who, having arrayed herself in a light Indian muslin dress, gracefully reclined upon one of the Cingalese couches.
confessedverbUS /kənˈfest/
past form of “confess” — confess to a punishable or reprehensible deed, usually under pressure
From this reading 'Oh, Lord!' he inwardly ejaculated, as he afterwards confessed.
couchnounUS /kaʊtʃ/
an upholstered seat for more than one person
From this reading Her eyes involuntarily brightened as she partly raised herself from the couch and held out her hand with unaffected welcome.
couchesnounUS /ˈkaʊtʃɪz/
plural of “couch” — an upholstered seat for more than one person
From this reading When Mr. Charteris had concluded his ablutions, and sauntered into the verandah after a careful toilette, he there encountered Miss Devereux, who, having arrayed herself in a light Indian muslin dress, gracefully reclined upon one of the Cingalese couches.
exquisitely fine and subtle and pleasing; susceptible to injury
From this reading He took in at one rapturous glance her slender yet wondrously moulded form, her delicate hand, her rounded arm seen through the diaphanous fabric, her massed and shining hair, her eloquent face.
Devereux
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When Mr. Charteris had concluded his ablutions, and sauntered into the verandah after a careful toilette, he there encountered Miss Devereux, who, having arrayed herself in a light Indian muslin dress, gracefully reclined upon one of the Cingalese couches.
diaphanousadjectiveUS /daɪˈæfənɪs/
so thin as to transmit light
From this reading He took in at one rapturous glance her slender yet wondrously moulded form, her delicate hand, her rounded arm seen through the diaphanous fabric, her massed and shining hair, her eloquent face.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading His lonely life of late may have had something to do with it, but his ordinary well-maintained equilibrium nearly failed him before the resistless force of her charms.
put on clothes
From this reading When Mr. Charteris had concluded his ablutions, and sauntered into the verandah after a careful toilette, he there encountered Miss Devereux, who, having arrayed herself in a light Indian muslin dress, gracefully reclined upon one of the Cingalese couches.
ejaculated
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 'Oh, Lord!' he inwardly ejaculated, as he afterwards confessed.
eloquentadjectiveUS /ˈeləkwənt/
expressing yourself readily, clearly, effectively
From this reading He took in at one rapturous glance her slender yet wondrously moulded form, her delicate hand, her rounded arm seen through the diaphanous fabric, her massed and shining hair, her eloquent face.
encounteredverbUS /ɪnˈkaʊntərd/
past form of “encounter” — come together
From this reading When Mr. Charteris had concluded his ablutions, and sauntered into the verandah after a careful toilette, he there encountered Miss Devereux, who, having arrayed herself in a light Indian muslin dress, gracefully reclined upon one of the Cingalese couches.
equilibriumnounUS /ˌiːkwəˈlɪbriəm/
a stable situation in which forces cancel one another
From this reading His lonely life of late may have had something to do with it, but his ordinary well-maintained equilibrium nearly failed him before the resistless force of her charms.
opinion or judgment
From this reading Her eyes involuntarily brightened as she partly raised herself from the couch and held out her hand with unaffected welcome.
fabricnounUS /ˈfæbrɪk/
artifact made by weaving or felting or knitting or crocheting natural or synthetic fibers
From this reading He took in at one rapturous glance her slender yet wondrously moulded form, her delicate hand, her rounded arm seen through the diaphanous fabric, her massed and shining hair, her eloquent face.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading He took in at one rapturous glance her slender yet wondrously moulded form, her delicate hand, her rounded arm seen through the diaphanous fabric, her massed and shining hair, her eloquent face.
past form of “fail” — fail to do something; leave something undone
From this reading His lonely life of late may have had something to do with it, but his ordinary well-maintained equilibrium nearly failed him before the resistless force of her charms.
a powerful effect or influence
From this reading His lonely life of late may have had something to do with it, but his ordinary well-maintained equilibrium nearly failed him before the resistless force of her charms.
the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word that can be used to describe or identify something
From this reading He took in at one rapturous glance her slender yet wondrously moulded form, her delicate hand, her rounded arm seen through the diaphanous fabric, her massed and shining hair, her eloquent face.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Her eyes involuntarily brightened as she partly raised herself from the couch and held out her hand with unaffected welcome.
throw a glance at; take a brief look at
From this reading He took in at one rapturous glance her slender yet wondrously moulded form, her delicate hand, her rounded arm seen through the diaphanous fabric, her massed and shining hair, her eloquent face.
gracefullyadverbUS /ˈɡreɪsfəli/
in a graceful manner
From this reading When Mr. Charteris had concluded his ablutions, and sauntered into the verandah after a careful toilette, he there encountered Miss Devereux, who, having arrayed herself in a light Indian muslin dress, gracefully reclined upon one of the Cingalese couches.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading When Mr. Charteris had concluded his ablutions, and sauntered into the verandah after a careful toilette, he there encountered Miss Devereux, who, having arrayed herself in a light Indian muslin dress, gracefully reclined upon one of the Cingalese couches.
a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss
From this reading He took in at one rapturous glance her slender yet wondrously moulded form, her delicate hand, her rounded arm seen through the diaphanous fabric, her massed and shining hair, her eloquent face.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading Her eyes involuntarily brightened as she partly raised herself from the couch and held out her hand with unaffected welcome.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading His lonely life of late may have had something to do with it, but his ordinary well-maintained equilibrium nearly failed him before the resistless force of her charms.
havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/
the -ing form of “have”
From this reading When Mr. Charteris had concluded his ablutions, and sauntered into the verandah after a careful toilette, he there encountered Miss Devereux, who, having arrayed herself in a light Indian muslin dress, gracefully reclined upon one of the Cingalese couches.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading When Mr. Charteris had concluded his ablutions, and sauntered into the verandah after a careful toilette, he there encountered Miss Devereux, who, having arrayed herself in a light Indian muslin dress, gracefully reclined upon one of the Cingalese couches.
occupied or in the control of; often used in combination
From this reading Her eyes involuntarily brightened as she partly raised herself from the couch and held out her hand with unaffected welcome.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading His lonely life of late may have had something to do with it, but his ordinary well-maintained equilibrium nearly failed him before the resistless force of her charms.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading When Mr. Charteris had concluded his ablutions, and sauntered into the verandah after a careful toilette, he there encountered Miss Devereux, who, having arrayed herself in a light Indian muslin dress, gracefully reclined upon one of the Cingalese couches.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading His lonely life of late may have had something to do with it, but his ordinary well-maintained equilibrium nearly failed him before the resistless force of her charms.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading When Mr. Charteris had concluded his ablutions, and sauntered into the verandah after a careful toilette, he there encountered Miss Devereux, who, having arrayed herself in a light Indian muslin dress, gracefully reclined upon one of the Cingalese couches.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading When Mr. Charteris had concluded his ablutions, and sauntered into the verandah after a careful toilette, he there encountered Miss Devereux, who, having arrayed herself in a light Indian muslin dress, gracefully reclined upon one of the Cingalese couches.
of or relating to or characteristic of India or the East Indies or their peoples or languages or cultures
From this reading When Mr. Charteris had concluded his ablutions, and sauntered into the verandah after a careful toilette, he there encountered Miss Devereux, who, having arrayed herself in a light Indian muslin dress, gracefully reclined upon one of the Cingalese couches.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading When Mr. Charteris had concluded his ablutions, and sauntered into the verandah after a careful toilette, he there encountered Miss Devereux, who, having arrayed herself in a light Indian muslin dress, gracefully reclined upon one of the Cingalese couches.
involuntarilyadverbUS /ˌɪnvoʊˈlʌntərɪli/
against your will
From this reading Her eyes involuntarily brightened as she partly raised herself from the couch and held out her hand with unaffected welcome.
inwardlyadverbUS /ˈɪnwərdli/
with respect to private feelings
From this reading 'Oh, Lord!' he inwardly ejaculated, as he afterwards confessed.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading His lonely life of late may have had something to do with it, but his ordinary well-maintained equilibrium nearly failed him before the resistless force of her charms.
being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time
From this reading His lonely life of late may have had something to do with it, but his ordinary well-maintained equilibrium nearly failed him before the resistless force of her charms.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading His lonely life of late may have had something to do with it, but his ordinary well-maintained equilibrium nearly failed him before the resistless force of her charms.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading When Mr. Charteris had concluded his ablutions, and sauntered into the verandah after a careful toilette, he there encountered Miss Devereux, who, having arrayed herself in a light Indian muslin dress, gracefully reclined upon one of the Cingalese couches.
lacking companions or companionship
From this reading His lonely life of late may have had something to do with it, but his ordinary well-maintained equilibrium nearly failed him before the resistless force of her charms.
terms referring to the Judeo-Christian God
From this reading 'Oh, Lord!' he inwardly ejaculated, as he afterwards confessed.
massedverbUS /mæst/
past form of “mass” — join together into a mass or collect or form a mass
From this reading He took in at one rapturous glance her slender yet wondrously moulded form, her delicate hand, her rounded arm seen through the diaphanous fabric, her massed and shining hair, her eloquent face.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading His lonely life of late may have had something to do with it, but his ordinary well-maintained equilibrium nearly failed him before the resistless force of her charms.
fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind
From this reading When Mr. Charteris had concluded his ablutions, and sauntered into the verandah after a careful toilette, he there encountered Miss Devereux, who, having arrayed herself in a light Indian muslin dress, gracefully reclined upon one of the Cingalese couches.
moulded
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He took in at one rapturous glance her slender yet wondrously moulded form, her delicate hand, her rounded arm seen through the diaphanous fabric, her massed and shining hair, her eloquent face.
a form of address for a man
From this reading When Mr. Charteris had concluded his ablutions, and sauntered into the verandah after a careful toilette, he there encountered Miss Devereux, who, having arrayed herself in a light Indian muslin dress, gracefully reclined upon one of the Cingalese couches.
muslinnounUS /ˈmʌzlən/
plain-woven cotton fabric
From this reading When Mr. Charteris had concluded his ablutions, and sauntered into the verandah after a careful toilette, he there encountered Miss Devereux, who, having arrayed herself in a light Indian muslin dress, gracefully reclined upon one of the Cingalese couches.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading His lonely life of late may have had something to do with it, but his ordinary well-maintained equilibrium nearly failed him before the resistless force of her charms.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading When Mr. Charteris had concluded his ablutions, and sauntered into the verandah after a careful toilette, he there encountered Miss Devereux, who, having arrayed herself in a light Indian muslin dress, gracefully reclined upon one of the Cingalese couches.
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading 'Oh, Lord!' he inwardly ejaculated, as he afterwards confessed.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading When Mr. Charteris had concluded his ablutions, and sauntered into the verandah after a careful toilette, he there encountered Miss Devereux, who, having arrayed herself in a light Indian muslin dress, gracefully reclined upon one of the Cingalese couches.
a judge of a probate court
From this reading His lonely life of late may have had something to do with it, but his ordinary well-maintained equilibrium nearly failed him before the resistless force of her charms.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Her eyes involuntarily brightened as she partly raised herself from the couch and held out her hand with unaffected welcome.
to some extent; in some degree; not wholly
From this reading Her eyes involuntarily brightened as she partly raised herself from the couch and held out her hand with unaffected welcome.
located or moved above the surround or above the normal position
From this reading Her eyes involuntarily brightened as she partly raised herself from the couch and held out her hand with unaffected welcome.
rapturousadjectiveUS /ˈræptʃərəs/
feeling great rapture or delight
From this reading He took in at one rapturous glance her slender yet wondrously moulded form, her delicate hand, her rounded arm seen through the diaphanous fabric, her massed and shining hair, her eloquent face.
reclinedverbUS /rɪˈklaɪnd/
past form of “recline” — move the upper body backwards and down
From this reading When Mr. Charteris had concluded his ablutions, and sauntered into the verandah after a careful toilette, he there encountered Miss Devereux, who, having arrayed herself in a light Indian muslin dress, gracefully reclined upon one of the Cingalese couches.
resistlessadjective
impossible to resist; overpowering
From this reading His lonely life of late may have had something to do with it, but his ordinary well-maintained equilibrium nearly failed him before the resistless force of her charms.
roundedadjectiveUS /ˈraʊndəd/
curving and somewhat round in shape rather than jagged
From this reading He took in at one rapturous glance her slender yet wondrously moulded form, her delicate hand, her rounded arm seen through the diaphanous fabric, her massed and shining hair, her eloquent face.
sauntered
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When Mr. Charteris had concluded his ablutions, and sauntered into the verandah after a careful toilette, he there encountered Miss Devereux, who, having arrayed herself in a light Indian muslin dress, gracefully reclined upon one of the Cingalese couches.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading He took in at one rapturous glance her slender yet wondrously moulded form, her delicate hand, her rounded arm seen through the diaphanous fabric, her massed and shining hair, her eloquent face.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Her eyes involuntarily brightened as she partly raised herself from the couch and held out her hand with unaffected welcome.
marked by exceptional merit
From this reading He took in at one rapturous glance her slender yet wondrously moulded form, her delicate hand, her rounded arm seen through the diaphanous fabric, her massed and shining hair, her eloquent face.
being of delicate or slender build
From this reading He took in at one rapturous glance her slender yet wondrously moulded form, her delicate hand, her rounded arm seen through the diaphanous fabric, her massed and shining hair, her eloquent face.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading His lonely life of late may have had something to do with it, but his ordinary well-maintained equilibrium nearly failed him before the resistless force of her charms.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading When Mr. Charteris had concluded his ablutions, and sauntered into the verandah after a careful toilette, he there encountered Miss Devereux, who, having arrayed herself in a light Indian muslin dress, gracefully reclined upon one of the Cingalese couches.
in or at that place or location
From this reading When Mr. Charteris had concluded his ablutions, and sauntered into the verandah after a careful toilette, he there encountered Miss Devereux, who, having arrayed herself in a light Indian muslin dress, gracefully reclined upon one of the Cingalese couches.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading He took in at one rapturous glance her slender yet wondrously moulded form, her delicate hand, her rounded arm seen through the diaphanous fabric, her massed and shining hair, her eloquent face.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading His lonely life of late may have had something to do with it, but his ordinary well-maintained equilibrium nearly failed him before the resistless force of her charms.
toilettenoun
the act of dressing and preparing yourself
From this reading When Mr. Charteris had concluded his ablutions, and sauntered into the verandah after a careful toilette, he there encountered Miss Devereux, who, having arrayed herself in a light Indian muslin dress, gracefully reclined upon one of the Cingalese couches.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading He took in at one rapturous glance her slender yet wondrously moulded form, her delicate hand, her rounded arm seen through the diaphanous fabric, her massed and shining hair, her eloquent face.
unaffectedadjectiveUS /ˌʌnəˈfektɪd/
undergoing no change when acted upon
From this reading Her eyes involuntarily brightened as she partly raised herself from the couch and held out her hand with unaffected welcome.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading When Mr. Charteris had concluded his ablutions, and sauntered into the verandah after a careful toilette, he there encountered Miss Devereux, who, having arrayed herself in a light Indian muslin dress, gracefully reclined upon one of the Cingalese couches.
verandahnoun
a porch along the outside of a building (sometimes partly enclosed)
From this reading When Mr. Charteris had concluded his ablutions, and sauntered into the verandah after a careful toilette, he there encountered Miss Devereux, who, having arrayed herself in a light Indian muslin dress, gracefully reclined upon one of the Cingalese couches.
accept gladly
From this reading Her eyes involuntarily brightened as she partly raised herself from the couch and held out her hand with unaffected welcome.
well-maintained
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading His lonely life of late may have had something to do with it, but his ordinary well-maintained equilibrium nearly failed him before the resistless force of her charms.
at the time that
From this reading When Mr. Charteris had concluded his ablutions, and sauntered into the verandah after a careful toilette, he there encountered Miss Devereux, who, having arrayed herself in a light Indian muslin dress, gracefully reclined upon one of the Cingalese couches.
which person or people
From this reading When Mr. Charteris had concluded his ablutions, and sauntered into the verandah after a careful toilette, he there encountered Miss Devereux, who, having arrayed herself in a light Indian muslin dress, gracefully reclined upon one of the Cingalese couches.
in the company of; together with
From this reading His lonely life of late may have had something to do with it, but his ordinary well-maintained equilibrium nearly failed him before the resistless force of her charms.
wondrouslyadverb
(used as an intensifier) extremely well
From this reading He took in at one rapturous glance her slender yet wondrously moulded form, her delicate hand, her rounded arm seen through the diaphanous fabric, her massed and shining hair, her eloquent face.
but in spite of that
From this reading He took in at one rapturous glance her slender yet wondrously moulded form, her delicate hand, her rounded arm seen through the diaphanous fabric, her massed and shining hair, her eloquent face.
