used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading “Polly had a telegram from Bar Harbor yesterday asking her to a house-party,” she said sympathetically to Gita, looking as if she would kiss her if she dared, “and she went off last night.
alludedverbUS /əˈluːdɪd/
past form of “allude” — make a more or less disguised reference to
From this reading The next day Mr. Donald called, and on the following the old lady had what the nurse alluded to vaguely as one of her attacks.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading At the earliest moment consistent with cherished proprieties, Topper telephoned to Mrs. Pleyden, and she came to the manor an hour later.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The next day Mr. Donald called, and on the following the old lady had what the nurse alluded to vaguely as one of her attacks.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The next day Mr. Donald called, and on the following the old lady had what the nurse alluded to vaguely as one of her attacks.
the verbal act of requesting
From this reading “Polly had a telegram from Bar Harbor yesterday asking her to a house-party,” she said sympathetically to Gita, looking as if she would kiss her if she dared, “and she went off last night.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At the earliest moment consistent with cherished proprieties, Topper telephoned to Mrs. Pleyden, and she came to the manor an hour later.
attacksnounUS /əˈtæks/
plural of “attack” — (military) an offensive against an enemy (using weapons)
From this reading The next day Mr. Donald called, and on the following the old lady had what the nurse alluded to vaguely as one of her attacks.
a room or establishment where alcoholic drinks are served over a counter
From this reading “Polly had a telegram from Bar Harbor yesterday asking her to a house-party,” she said sympathetically to Gita, looking as if she would kiss her if she dared, “and she went off last night.
past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading The next day Mr. Donald called, and on the following the old lady had what the nurse alluded to vaguely as one of her attacks.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading At the earliest moment consistent with cherished proprieties, Topper telephoned to Mrs. Pleyden, and she came to the manor an hour later.
cherishedadjectiveUS /ˈtʃerɪʃt/
characterized by feeling or showing fond affection for
From this reading At the earliest moment consistent with cherished proprieties, Topper telephoned to Mrs. Pleyden, and she came to the manor an hour later.
consistentadjectiveUS /kənˈsɪstənt/
(sometimes followed by “with”) in agreement or consistent or reliable
From this reading At the earliest moment consistent with cherished proprieties, Topper telephoned to Mrs. Pleyden, and she came to the manor an hour later.
past form of “dare” — take upon oneself; act presumptuously, without permission
From this reading “Polly had a telegram from Bar Harbor yesterday asking her to a house-party,” she said sympathetically to Gita, looking as if she would kiss her if she dared, “and she went off last night.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading The next day Mr. Donald called, and on the following the old lady had what the nurse alluded to vaguely as one of her attacks.
past form of “die” — pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life
From this reading Two nights later she died quietly in her sleep.
Donald
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The next day Mr. Donald called, and on the following the old lady had what the nurse alluded to vaguely as one of her attacks.
earliestadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrliəst/
(comparative and superlative of “early”) more early than; most early
From this reading At the earliest moment consistent with cherished proprieties, Topper telephoned to Mrs. Pleyden, and she came to the manor an hour later.
about to be mentioned or specified
From this reading The next day Mr. Donald called, and on the following the old lady had what the nurse alluded to vaguely as one of her attacks.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading “Polly had a telegram from Bar Harbor yesterday asking her to a house-party,” she said sympathetically to Gita, looking as if she would kiss her if she dared, “and she went off last night.
Gitanoun
(Hinduism) the sacred “song of God” composed about 200 BC and incorporated into the Mahabharata (a Sanskrit epic); contains a discussion between Krishna and the Indian hero Arjuna on human nature and the purpose of life
From this reading “Polly had a telegram from Bar Harbor yesterday asking her to a house-party,” she said sympathetically to Gita, looking as if she would kiss her if she dared, “and she went off last night.
Gita's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That was Gita’s last talk with her grandmother.
the mother of your father or mother
From this reading That was Gita’s last talk with her grandmother.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The next day Mr. Donald called, and on the following the old lady had what the nurse alluded to vaguely as one of her attacks.
HarborverbUS /ˈhɑːrbər/
maintain (a theory, thoughts, or feelings)
From this reading “Polly had a telegram from Bar Harbor yesterday asking her to a house-party,” she said sympathetically to Gita, looking as if she would kiss her if she dared, “and she went off last night.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading That was Gita’s last talk with her grandmother.
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading At the earliest moment consistent with cherished proprieties, Topper telephoned to Mrs. Pleyden, and she came to the manor an hour later.
house-party
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Polly had a telegram from Bar Harbor yesterday asking her to a house-party,” she said sympathetically to Gita, looking as if she would kiss her if she dared, “and she went off last night.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading “Polly had a telegram from Bar Harbor yesterday asking her to a house-party,” she said sympathetically to Gita, looking as if she would kiss her if she dared, “and she went off last night.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Two nights later she died quietly in her sleep.
the act of caressing with the lips (or an instance thereof)
From this reading “Polly had a telegram from Bar Harbor yesterday asking her to a house-party,” she said sympathetically to Gita, looking as if she would kiss her if she dared, “and she went off last night.
a polite name for any woman
From this reading The next day Mr. Donald called, and on the following the old lady had what the nurse alluded to vaguely as one of her attacks.
immediately past
From this reading That was Gita’s last talk with her grandmother.
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading Two nights later she died quietly in her sleep.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading “Polly had a telegram from Bar Harbor yesterday asking her to a house-party,” she said sympathetically to Gita, looking as if she would kiss her if she dared, “and she went off last night.
manornounUS /ˈmænər/
the mansion of a lord or wealthy person
From this reading At the earliest moment consistent with cherished proprieties, Topper telephoned to Mrs. Pleyden, and she came to the manor an hour later.
a particular point in time
From this reading At the earliest moment consistent with cherished proprieties, Topper telephoned to Mrs. Pleyden, and she came to the manor an hour later.
a form of address for a man
From this reading The next day Mr. Donald called, and on the following the old lady had what the nurse alluded to vaguely as one of her attacks.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading At the earliest moment consistent with cherished proprieties, Topper telephoned to Mrs. Pleyden, and she came to the manor an hour later.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading The next day Mr. Donald called, and on the following the old lady had what the nurse alluded to vaguely as one of her attacks.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading “Polly had a telegram from Bar Harbor yesterday asking her to a house-party,” she said sympathetically to Gita, looking as if she would kiss her if she dared, “and she went off last night.
Periods of darkness between sunset and sunrise.
From this reading Two nights later she died quietly in her sleep.
try to cure by special care of treatment, of an illness or injury
From this reading The next day Mr. Donald called, and on the following the old lady had what the nurse alluded to vaguely as one of her attacks.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The next day Mr. Donald called, and on the following the old lady had what the nurse alluded to vaguely as one of her attacks.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading “Polly had a telegram from Bar Harbor yesterday asking her to a house-party,” she said sympathetically to Gita, looking as if she would kiss her if she dared, “and she went off last night.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading The next day Mr. Donald called, and on the following the old lady had what the nurse alluded to vaguely as one of her attacks.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The next day Mr. Donald called, and on the following the old lady had what the nurse alluded to vaguely as one of her attacks.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading The next day Mr. Donald called, and on the following the old lady had what the nurse alluded to vaguely as one of her attacks.
Pleyden
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At the earliest moment consistent with cherished proprieties, Topper telephoned to Mrs. Pleyden, and she came to the manor an hour later.
Polly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Polly had a telegram from Bar Harbor yesterday asking her to a house-party,” she said sympathetically to Gita, looking as if she would kiss her if she dared, “and she went off last night.
proprieties
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At the earliest moment consistent with cherished proprieties, Topper telephoned to Mrs. Pleyden, and she came to the manor an hour later.
with low volume
From this reading Two nights later she died quietly in her sleep.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “Polly had a telegram from Bar Harbor yesterday asking her to a house-party,” she said sympathetically to Gita, looking as if she would kiss her if she dared, “and she went off last night.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Two nights later she died quietly in her sleep.
a natural and periodic state of rest during which consciousness of the world is suspended
From this reading Two nights later she died quietly in her sleep.
sympatheticallyadverbUS /ˌsɪmpəˈθetɪkəli/
with respect to the sympathetic nervous system
From this reading “Polly had a telegram from Bar Harbor yesterday asking her to a house-party,” she said sympathetically to Gita, looking as if she would kiss her if she dared, “and she went off last night.
exchange thoughts; talk with
From this reading That was Gita’s last talk with her grandmother.
telegramnounUS /ˈteləɡræm/
a message transmitted by telegraph
From this reading “Polly had a telegram from Bar Harbor yesterday asking her to a house-party,” she said sympathetically to Gita, looking as if she would kiss her if she dared, “and she went off last night.
telephonedverbUS /ˈteləfoʊnd/
past form of “telephone” — get or try to get into communication (with someone) by telephone
From this reading At the earliest moment consistent with cherished proprieties, Topper telephoned to Mrs. Pleyden, and she came to the manor an hour later.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading That was Gita’s last talk with her grandmother.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The next day Mr. Donald called, and on the following the old lady had what the nurse alluded to vaguely as one of her attacks.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The next day Mr. Donald called, and on the following the old lady had what the nurse alluded to vaguely as one of her attacks.
ToppernounUS /ˈtɑːpər/
a worker who makes or adds the top to something
From this reading At the earliest moment consistent with cherished proprieties, Topper telephoned to Mrs. Pleyden, and she came to the manor an hour later.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading Two nights later she died quietly in her sleep.
vaguelyadverbUS /ˈveɪɡli/
in a vague way
From this reading The next day Mr. Donald called, and on the following the old lady had what the nurse alluded to vaguely as one of her attacks.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading That was Gita’s last talk with her grandmother.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading “Polly had a telegram from Bar Harbor yesterday asking her to a house-party,” she said sympathetically to Gita, looking as if she would kiss her if she dared, “and she went off last night.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading The next day Mr. Donald called, and on the following the old lady had what the nurse alluded to vaguely as one of her attacks.
in the company of; together with
From this reading That was Gita’s last talk with her grandmother.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading “Polly had a telegram from Bar Harbor yesterday asking her to a house-party,” she said sympathetically to Gita, looking as if she would kiss her if she dared, “and she went off last night.
the day immediately before today
From this reading “Polly had a telegram from Bar Harbor yesterday asking her to a house-party,” she said sympathetically to Gita, looking as if she would kiss her if she dared, “and she went off last night.
