used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The swarthy stranger, fitting a pair of eye-glasses to a nose that was like an instrument of precision, had begun a closer and more detailed inspection of the tapestries.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading He seemed totally unmindful of her presence, and his air of lofty indifference was beginning to make her wish she had not sent for him.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading The swarthy stranger, fitting a pair of eye-glasses to a nose that was like an instrument of precision, had begun a closer and more detailed inspection of the tapestries.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading To ease the tension of her nerves Undine began: "They were given by Louis the Fifteenth to the Marquis de Chelles who--" "Their history has been published," the visitor briefly interposed; and she coloured at her blunder.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading To ease the tension of her nerves Undine began: "They were given by Louis the Fifteenth to the Marquis de Chelles who--" "Their history has been published," the visitor briefly interposed; and she coloured at her blunder.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading Suddenly he turned and took off the glasses, which sprang back into a fold of his clothing like retracted feelers.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading To ease the tension of her nerves Undine began: "They were given by Louis the Fifteenth to the Marquis de Chelles who--" "Their history has been published," the visitor briefly interposed; and she coloured at her blunder.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading To ease the tension of her nerves Undine began: "They were given by Louis the Fifteenth to the Marquis de Chelles who--" "Their history has been published," the visitor briefly interposed; and she coloured at her blunder.
the event consisting of the start of something
From this reading He seemed totally unmindful of her presence, and his air of lofty indifference was beginning to make her wish she had not sent for him.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading The swarthy stranger, fitting a pair of eye-glasses to a nose that was like an instrument of precision, had begun a closer and more detailed inspection of the tapestries.
blunderverbUS /ˈblʌndər/
commit a faux pas or a fault or make a serious mistake
From this reading To ease the tension of her nerves Undine began: "They were given by Louis the Fifteenth to the Marquis de Chelles who--" "Their history has been published," the visitor briefly interposed; and she coloured at her blunder.
brieflyadverbUS /ˈbriːfli/
for a short time
From this reading To ease the tension of her nerves Undine began: "They were given by Louis the Fifteenth to the Marquis de Chelles who--" "Their history has been published," the visitor briefly interposed; and she coloured at her blunder.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading To ease the tension of her nerves Undine began: "They were given by Louis the Fifteenth to the Marquis de Chelles who--" "Their history has been published," the visitor briefly interposed; and she coloured at her blunder.
Chelles
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To ease the tension of her nerves Undine began: "They were given by Louis the Fifteenth to the Marquis de Chelles who--" "Their history has been published," the visitor briefly interposed; and she coloured at her blunder.
(comparative of “near” or “close”) within a shorter distance
From this reading The swarthy stranger, fitting a pair of eye-glasses to a nose that was like an instrument of precision, had begun a closer and more detailed inspection of the tapestries.
clothingnounUS /ˈkloʊðɪŋ/
a covering designed to be worn on a person's body
From this reading Suddenly he turned and took off the glasses, which sprang back into a fold of his clothing like retracted feelers.
colouredadjectiveUS /ˈkʌlərd/
having color or a certain color; sometimes used in combination
From this reading To ease the tension of her nerves Undine began: "They were given by Louis the Fifteenth to the Marquis de Chelles who--" "Their history has been published," the visitor briefly interposed; and she coloured at her blunder.
a Mid-Atlantic state; one of the original 13 colonies
From this reading To ease the tension of her nerves Undine began: "They were given by Louis the Fifteenth to the Marquis de Chelles who--" "Their history has been published," the visitor briefly interposed; and she coloured at her blunder.
detailedadjectiveUS /dɪˈteɪld/
developed or executed with care and in minute detail
From this reading The swarthy stranger, fitting a pair of eye-glasses to a nose that was like an instrument of precision, had begun a closer and more detailed inspection of the tapestries.
unlike in nature or quality or form or degree
From this reading His manner in Paris had been so different!
move gently or carefully
From this reading To ease the tension of her nerves Undine began: "They were given by Louis the Fifteenth to the Marquis de Chelles who--" "Their history has been published," the visitor briefly interposed; and she coloured at her blunder.
eye-glasses
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The swarthy stranger, fitting a pair of eye-glasses to a nose that was like an instrument of precision, had begun a closer and more detailed inspection of the tapestries.
feelersnounUS /ˈfiːlərz/
plural of “feeler” — one of a pair of mobile appendages on the head of e.g. insects and crustaceans; typically sensitive to touch and taste
From this reading Suddenly he turned and took off the glasses, which sprang back into a fold of his clothing like retracted feelers.
FifteenthadjectiveUS /fɪfˈtiːnθ/
coming next after the fourteenth and just before the sixteenth in position
From this reading To ease the tension of her nerves Undine began: "They were given by Louis the Fifteenth to the Marquis de Chelles who--" "Their history has been published," the visitor briefly interposed; and she coloured at her blunder.
fittingadjectiveUS /ˈfɪtɪŋ/
in harmony with the spirit of particular persons or occasion
From this reading The swarthy stranger, fitting a pair of eye-glasses to a nose that was like an instrument of precision, had begun a closer and more detailed inspection of the tapestries.
foldnounUS /foʊld/
an angular or rounded shape made by folding
From this reading Suddenly he turned and took off the glasses, which sprang back into a fold of his clothing like retracted feelers.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading He seemed totally unmindful of her presence, and his air of lofty indifference was beginning to make her wish she had not sent for him.
givenadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪvən/
acknowledged as a supposition
From this reading To ease the tension of her nerves Undine began: "They were given by Louis the Fifteenth to the Marquis de Chelles who--" "Their history has been published," the visitor briefly interposed; and she coloured at her blunder.
glassesnounUS /ˈɡlæsəz/
(plural) optical instrument consisting of a frame that holds a pair of lenses for correcting defective vision
From this reading Suddenly he turned and took off the glasses, which sprang back into a fold of his clothing like retracted feelers.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The swarthy stranger, fitting a pair of eye-glasses to a nose that was like an instrument of precision, had begun a closer and more detailed inspection of the tapestries.
hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading To ease the tension of her nerves Undine began: "They were given by Louis the Fifteenth to the Marquis de Chelles who--" "Their history has been published," the visitor briefly interposed; and she coloured at her blunder.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He seemed totally unmindful of her presence, and his air of lofty indifference was beginning to make her wish she had not sent for him.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading To ease the tension of her nerves Undine began: "They were given by Louis the Fifteenth to the Marquis de Chelles who--" "Their history has been published," the visitor briefly interposed; and she coloured at her blunder.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He seemed totally unmindful of her presence, and his air of lofty indifference was beginning to make her wish she had not sent for him.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He seemed totally unmindful of her presence, and his air of lofty indifference was beginning to make her wish she had not sent for him.
the aggregate of past events
From this reading To ease the tension of her nerves Undine began: "They were given by Louis the Fifteenth to the Marquis de Chelles who--" "Their history has been published," the visitor briefly interposed; and she coloured at her blunder.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading His manner in Paris had been so different!
unbiased impartial unconcern
From this reading He seemed totally unmindful of her presence, and his air of lofty indifference was beginning to make her wish she had not sent for him.
inspectionnounUS /ˌɪnˈspekʃən/
a formal or official examination
From this reading The swarthy stranger, fitting a pair of eye-glasses to a nose that was like an instrument of precision, had begun a closer and more detailed inspection of the tapestries.
instrumentnounUS /ˈɪnstrəmənt/
a device that requires skill for proper use
From this reading The swarthy stranger, fitting a pair of eye-glasses to a nose that was like an instrument of precision, had begun a closer and more detailed inspection of the tapestries.
interposed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To ease the tension of her nerves Undine began: "They were given by Louis the Fifteenth to the Marquis de Chelles who--" "Their history has been published," the visitor briefly interposed; and she coloured at her blunder.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Suddenly he turned and took off the glasses, which sprang back into a fold of his clothing like retracted feelers.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading The swarthy stranger, fitting a pair of eye-glasses to a nose that was like an instrument of precision, had begun a closer and more detailed inspection of the tapestries.
loftyadjectiveUS /ˈlɔːfti/
of high moral or intellectual value; elevated in nature or style
From this reading He seemed totally unmindful of her presence, and his air of lofty indifference was beginning to make her wish she had not sent for him.
United States prizefighter who was world heavyweight champion for 12 years (1914-1981)
From this reading To ease the tension of her nerves Undine began: "They were given by Louis the Fifteenth to the Marquis de Chelles who--" "Their history has been published," the visitor briefly interposed; and she coloured at her blunder.
engage in
From this reading He seemed totally unmindful of her presence, and his air of lofty indifference was beginning to make her wish she had not sent for him.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading His manner in Paris had been so different!
humorist who wrote about the imaginary life of cockroaches (1878-1937)
From this reading To ease the tension of her nerves Undine began: "They were given by Louis the Fifteenth to the Marquis de Chelles who--" "Their history has been published," the visitor briefly interposed; and she coloured at her blunder.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading The swarthy stranger, fitting a pair of eye-glasses to a nose that was like an instrument of precision, had begun a closer and more detailed inspection of the tapestries.
an uneasy psychological state
From this reading To ease the tension of her nerves Undine began: "They were given by Louis the Fifteenth to the Marquis de Chelles who--" "Their history has been published," the visitor briefly interposed; and she coloured at her blunder.
the organ of smell and entrance to the respiratory tract; the prominent part of the face of man or other mammals
From this reading The swarthy stranger, fitting a pair of eye-glasses to a nose that was like an instrument of precision, had begun a closer and more detailed inspection of the tapestries.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading He seemed totally unmindful of her presence, and his air of lofty indifference was beginning to make her wish she had not sent for him.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading To ease the tension of her nerves Undine began: "They were given by Louis the Fifteenth to the Marquis de Chelles who--" "Their history has been published," the visitor briefly interposed; and she coloured at her blunder.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Suddenly he turned and took off the glasses, which sprang back into a fold of his clothing like retracted feelers.
a set of two similar things considered as a unit
From this reading The swarthy stranger, fitting a pair of eye-glasses to a nose that was like an instrument of precision, had begun a closer and more detailed inspection of the tapestries.
the capital and largest city of France; and international center of culture and commerce
From this reading His manner in Paris had been so different!
precisionnounUS /priˈsɪʒən/
the quality of being reproducible in amount or performance
From this reading The swarthy stranger, fitting a pair of eye-glasses to a nose that was like an instrument of precision, had begun a closer and more detailed inspection of the tapestries.
the state of being present; current existence
From this reading He seemed totally unmindful of her presence, and his air of lofty indifference was beginning to make her wish she had not sent for him.
prepared and printed for distribution and sale
From this reading To ease the tension of her nerves Undine began: "They were given by Louis the Fifteenth to the Marquis de Chelles who--" "Their history has been published," the visitor briefly interposed; and she coloured at her blunder.
retractedadjectiveUS /riˈtræktəd/
drawn back and in
From this reading Suddenly he turned and took off the glasses, which sprang back into a fold of his clothing like retracted feelers.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading He seemed totally unmindful of her presence, and his air of lofty indifference was beginning to make her wish she had not sent for him.
100 senti equal 1 kroon in Estonia
From this reading He seemed totally unmindful of her presence, and his air of lofty indifference was beginning to make her wish she had not sent for him.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading To ease the tension of her nerves Undine began: "They were given by Louis the Fifteenth to the Marquis de Chelles who--" "Their history has been published," the visitor briefly interposed; and she coloured at her blunder.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading His manner in Paris had been so different!
inflected form of “spring” — move forward by leaps and bounds
From this reading Suddenly he turned and took off the glasses, which sprang back into a fold of his clothing like retracted feelers.
anyone who does not belong in the environment in which they are found
From this reading The swarthy stranger, fitting a pair of eye-glasses to a nose that was like an instrument of precision, had begun a closer and more detailed inspection of the tapestries.
happening unexpectedly
From this reading Suddenly he turned and took off the glasses, which sprang back into a fold of his clothing like retracted feelers.
swarthyadjectiveUS /ˈswɔːrði/
naturally having skin of a dark color
From this reading The swarthy stranger, fitting a pair of eye-glasses to a nose that was like an instrument of precision, had begun a closer and more detailed inspection of the tapestries.
tapestriesnounUS /ˈtæpəstriz/
plural of “tapestry” — something that resembles a tapestry in its intricacy
From this reading The swarthy stranger, fitting a pair of eye-glasses to a nose that was like an instrument of precision, had begun a closer and more detailed inspection of the tapestries.
tensionnounUS /ˈtenʃən/
(psychology) a state of mental or emotional strain or suspense
From this reading To ease the tension of her nerves Undine began: "They were given by Louis the Fifteenth to the Marquis de Chelles who--" "Their history has been published," the visitor briefly interposed; and she coloured at her blunder.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The swarthy stranger, fitting a pair of eye-glasses to a nose that was like an instrument of precision, had begun a closer and more detailed inspection of the tapestries.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading To ease the tension of her nerves Undine began: "They were given by Louis the Fifteenth to the Marquis de Chelles who--" "Their history has been published," the visitor briefly interposed; and she coloured at her blunder.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading To ease the tension of her nerves Undine began: "They were given by Louis the Fifteenth to the Marquis de Chelles who--" "Their history has been published," the visitor briefly interposed; and she coloured at her blunder.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading To ease the tension of her nerves Undine began: "They were given by Louis the Fifteenth to the Marquis de Chelles who--" "Their history has been published," the visitor briefly interposed; and she coloured at her blunder.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading To ease the tension of her nerves Undine began: "They were given by Louis the Fifteenth to the Marquis de Chelles who--" "Their history has been published," the visitor briefly interposed; and she coloured at her blunder.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading Suddenly he turned and took off the glasses, which sprang back into a fold of his clothing like retracted feelers.
totallyadverbUS /ˈtoʊtəli/
to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)
From this reading He seemed totally unmindful of her presence, and his air of lofty indifference was beginning to make her wish she had not sent for him.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading Suddenly he turned and took off the glasses, which sprang back into a fold of his clothing like retracted feelers.
UndinenounUS /ˈʌndiːn/
any of various female water spirits
From this reading To ease the tension of her nerves Undine began: "They were given by Louis the Fifteenth to the Marquis de Chelles who--" "Their history has been published," the visitor briefly interposed; and she coloured at her blunder.
unmindfuladjective
not mindful or attentive
From this reading He seemed totally unmindful of her presence, and his air of lofty indifference was beginning to make her wish she had not sent for him.
someone who visits
From this reading To ease the tension of her nerves Undine began: "They were given by Louis the Fifteenth to the Marquis de Chelles who--" "Their history has been published," the visitor briefly interposed; and she coloured at her blunder.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The swarthy stranger, fitting a pair of eye-glasses to a nose that was like an instrument of precision, had begun a closer and more detailed inspection of the tapestries.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading To ease the tension of her nerves Undine began: "They were given by Louis the Fifteenth to the Marquis de Chelles who--" "Their history has been published," the visitor briefly interposed; and she coloured at her blunder.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Suddenly he turned and took off the glasses, which sprang back into a fold of his clothing like retracted feelers.
which person or people
From this reading To ease the tension of her nerves Undine began: "They were given by Louis the Fifteenth to the Marquis de Chelles who--" "Their history has been published," the visitor briefly interposed; and she coloured at her blunder.
hope for; have a wish
From this reading He seemed totally unmindful of her presence, and his air of lofty indifference was beginning to make her wish she had not sent for him.
