used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It was a long time after they had, with many breaks, read Edgar's letter to the end before Rupert and Madge could compose themselves sufficiently to accompany their father into the drawing-room.
accompanyverbUS /əˈkʌmpəni/
be present or associated with an event or entity
From this reading It was a long time after they had, with many breaks, read Edgar's letter to the end before Rupert and Madge could compose themselves sufficiently to accompany their father into the drawing-room.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading It was a long time after they had, with many breaks, read Edgar's letter to the end before Rupert and Madge could compose themselves sufficiently to accompany their father into the drawing-room.
anew
From this reading They again broke down when they met their mother; and it was not until Captain Clinton said, "Come, we must all pull ourselves together and see what is to be done, and talk the whole matter over calmly," that by a great effort they recovered their composure.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading They again broke down when they met their mother; and it was not until Captain Clinton said, "Come, we must all pull ourselves together and see what is to be done, and talk the whole matter over calmly," that by a great effort they recovered their composure.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It was a long time after they had, with many breaks, read Edgar's letter to the end before Rupert and Madge could compose themselves sufficiently to accompany their father into the drawing-room.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading BACK AT SCHOOL.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading BACK AT SCHOOL.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading They again broke down when they met their mother; and it was not until Captain Clinton said, "Come, we must all pull ourselves together and see what is to be done, and talk the whole matter over calmly," that by a great effort they recovered their composure.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading It was a long time after they had, with many breaks, read Edgar's letter to the end before Rupert and Madge could compose themselves sufficiently to accompany their father into the drawing-room.
breaksnounUS /breɪks/
plural of “break” — some abrupt occurrence that interrupts an ongoing activity
From this reading It was a long time after they had, with many breaks, read Edgar's letter to the end before Rupert and Madge could compose themselves sufficiently to accompany their father into the drawing-room.
lacking funds
From this reading They again broke down when they met their mother; and it was not until Captain Clinton said, "Come, we must all pull ourselves together and see what is to be done, and talk the whole matter over calmly," that by a great effort they recovered their composure.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading He has got twenty-four hours' start of us, but that is not very much.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading They again broke down when they met their mother; and it was not until Captain Clinton said, "Come, we must all pull ourselves together and see what is to be done, and talk the whole matter over calmly," that by a great effort they recovered their composure.
with self-possession (especially in times of stress)
From this reading They again broke down when they met their mother; and it was not until Captain Clinton said, "Come, we must all pull ourselves together and see what is to be done, and talk the whole matter over calmly," that by a great effort they recovered their composure.
an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant
From this reading They again broke down when they met their mother; and it was not until Captain Clinton said, "Come, we must all pull ourselves together and see what is to be done, and talk the whole matter over calmly," that by a great effort they recovered their composure.
ClintonnounUS /ˈklɪntən/
wife of President Clinton and later a woman member of the United States Senate (1947-)
From this reading They again broke down when they met their mother; and it was not until Captain Clinton said, "Come, we must all pull ourselves together and see what is to be done, and talk the whole matter over calmly," that by a great effort they recovered their composure.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading They again broke down when they met their mother; and it was not until Captain Clinton said, "Come, we must all pull ourselves together and see what is to be done, and talk the whole matter over calmly," that by a great effort they recovered their composure.
composeverbUS /kəmˈpoʊz/
form the substance of
From this reading It was a long time after they had, with many breaks, read Edgar's letter to the end before Rupert and Madge could compose themselves sufficiently to accompany their father into the drawing-room.
composurenounUS /kəmˈpoʊʒər/
steadiness of mind under stress
From this reading They again broke down when they met their mother; and it was not until Captain Clinton said, "Come, we must all pull ourselves together and see what is to be done, and talk the whole matter over calmly," that by a great effort they recovered their composure.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading It was a long time after they had, with many breaks, read Edgar's letter to the end before Rupert and Madge could compose themselves sufficiently to accompany their father into the drawing-room.
having finished or arrived at completion
From this reading They again broke down when they met their mother; and it was not until Captain Clinton said, "Come, we must all pull ourselves together and see what is to be done, and talk the whole matter over calmly," that by a great effort they recovered their composure.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading They again broke down when they met their mother; and it was not until Captain Clinton said, "Come, we must all pull ourselves together and see what is to be done, and talk the whole matter over calmly," that by a great effort they recovered their composure.
drawing-room
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was a long time after they had, with many breaks, read Edgar's letter to the end before Rupert and Madge could compose themselves sufficiently to accompany their father into the drawing-room.
EdgarnounUS /ˈedɡər/
the younger brother of Edwy who became king of Northumbria when it renounced Edwy; on Edwy's death he succeeded to the throne of England (944-975)
From this reading "Now, in the first place, we must try to find Edgar.
Edgar'snounUS /ˈedɡərz/
possessive form of “edgar” — the younger brother of Edwy who became king of Northumbria when it renounced Edwy; on Edwy's death he succeeded to the throne of England (944-975)
From this reading It was a long time after they had, with many breaks, read Edgar's letter to the end before Rupert and Madge could compose themselves sufficiently to accompany their father into the drawing-room.
earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
From this reading They again broke down when they met their mother; and it was not until Captain Clinton said, "Come, we must all pull ourselves together and see what is to be done, and talk the whole matter over calmly," that by a great effort they recovered their composure.
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading It was a long time after they had, with many breaks, read Edgar's letter to the end before Rupert and Madge could compose themselves sufficiently to accompany their father into the drawing-room.
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading It was a long time after they had, with many breaks, read Edgar's letter to the end before Rupert and Madge could compose themselves sufficiently to accompany their father into the drawing-room.
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading "Now, in the first place, we must try to find Edgar.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading "Now, in the first place, we must try to find Edgar.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading He has got twenty-four hours' start of us, but that is not very much.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading They again broke down when they met their mother; and it was not until Captain Clinton said, "Come, we must all pull ourselves together and see what is to be done, and talk the whole matter over calmly," that by a great effort they recovered their composure.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading It was a long time after they had, with many breaks, read Edgar's letter to the end before Rupert and Madge could compose themselves sufficiently to accompany their father into the drawing-room.
hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He has got twenty-four hours' start of us, but that is not very much.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He has got twenty-four hours' start of us, but that is not very much.
a period of time assigned for work
From this reading He has got twenty-four hours' start of us, but that is not very much.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "Now, in the first place, we must try to find Edgar.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading It was a long time after they had, with many breaks, read Edgar's letter to the end before Rupert and Madge could compose themselves sufficiently to accompany their father into the drawing-room.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading They again broke down when they met their mother; and it was not until Captain Clinton said, "Come, we must all pull ourselves together and see what is to be done, and talk the whole matter over calmly," that by a great effort they recovered their composure.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was a long time after they had, with many breaks, read Edgar's letter to the end before Rupert and Madge could compose themselves sufficiently to accompany their father into the drawing-room.
a written message addressed to a person or organization
From this reading It was a long time after they had, with many breaks, read Edgar's letter to the end before Rupert and Madge could compose themselves sufficiently to accompany their father into the drawing-room.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading It was a long time after they had, with many breaks, read Edgar's letter to the end before Rupert and Madge could compose themselves sufficiently to accompany their father into the drawing-room.
Madge
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was a long time after they had, with many breaks, read Edgar's letter to the end before Rupert and Madge could compose themselves sufficiently to accompany their father into the drawing-room.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading It was a long time after they had, with many breaks, read Edgar's letter to the end before Rupert and Madge could compose themselves sufficiently to accompany their father into the drawing-room.
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading They again broke down when they met their mother; and it was not until Captain Clinton said, "Come, we must all pull ourselves together and see what is to be done, and talk the whole matter over calmly," that by a great effort they recovered their composure.
inflected form of “meet” — come together
From this reading They again broke down when they met their mother; and it was not until Captain Clinton said, "Come, we must all pull ourselves together and see what is to be done, and talk the whole matter over calmly," that by a great effort they recovered their composure.
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading They again broke down when they met their mother; and it was not until Captain Clinton said, "Come, we must all pull ourselves together and see what is to be done, and talk the whole matter over calmly," that by a great effort they recovered their composure.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading He has got twenty-four hours' start of us, but that is not very much.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading They again broke down when they met their mother; and it was not until Captain Clinton said, "Come, we must all pull ourselves together and see what is to be done, and talk the whole matter over calmly," that by a great effort they recovered their composure.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading They again broke down when they met their mother; and it was not until Captain Clinton said, "Come, we must all pull ourselves together and see what is to be done, and talk the whole matter over calmly," that by a great effort they recovered their composure.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading "Now, in the first place, we must try to find Edgar.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He has got twenty-four hours' start of us, but that is not very much.
used when we are both doing the action and receiving it
From this reading They again broke down when they met their mother; and it was not until Captain Clinton said, "Come, we must all pull ourselves together and see what is to be done, and talk the whole matter over calmly," that by a great effort they recovered their composure.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading They again broke down when they met their mother; and it was not until Captain Clinton said, "Come, we must all pull ourselves together and see what is to be done, and talk the whole matter over calmly," that by a great effort they recovered their composure.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading "Now, in the first place, we must try to find Edgar.
cause to move by pulling
From this reading They again broke down when they met their mother; and it was not until Captain Clinton said, "Come, we must all pull ourselves together and see what is to be done, and talk the whole matter over calmly," that by a great effort they recovered their composure.
interpret something that is written or printed
From this reading It was a long time after they had, with many breaks, read Edgar's letter to the end before Rupert and Madge could compose themselves sufficiently to accompany their father into the drawing-room.
freed from illness or injury
From this reading They again broke down when they met their mother; and it was not until Captain Clinton said, "Come, we must all pull ourselves together and see what is to be done, and talk the whole matter over calmly," that by a great effort they recovered their composure.
RupertnounUS /ˈruːpərt/
English leader (born in Germany) of the Royalist forces during the English Civil War (1619-1682)
From this reading It was a long time after they had, with many breaks, read Edgar's letter to the end before Rupert and Madge could compose themselves sufficiently to accompany their father into the drawing-room.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading They again broke down when they met their mother; and it was not until Captain Clinton said, "Come, we must all pull ourselves together and see what is to be done, and talk the whole matter over calmly," that by a great effort they recovered their composure.
an educational institution
From this reading BACK AT SCHOOL.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading They again broke down when they met their mother; and it was not until Captain Clinton said, "Come, we must all pull ourselves together and see what is to be done, and talk the whole matter over calmly," that by a great effort they recovered their composure.
take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading He has got twenty-four hours' start of us, but that is not very much.
to a sufficient degree
From this reading It was a long time after they had, with many breaks, read Edgar's letter to the end before Rupert and Madge could compose themselves sufficiently to accompany their father into the drawing-room.
exchange thoughts; talk with
From this reading They again broke down when they met their mother; and it was not until Captain Clinton said, "Come, we must all pull ourselves together and see what is to be done, and talk the whole matter over calmly," that by a great effort they recovered their composure.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading They again broke down when they met their mother; and it was not until Captain Clinton said, "Come, we must all pull ourselves together and see what is to be done, and talk the whole matter over calmly," that by a great effort they recovered their composure.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It was a long time after they had, with many breaks, read Edgar's letter to the end before Rupert and Madge could compose themselves sufficiently to accompany their father into the drawing-room.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading It was a long time after they had, with many breaks, read Edgar's letter to the end before Rupert and Madge could compose themselves sufficiently to accompany their father into the drawing-room.
used when the people doing the action are also its object
From this reading It was a long time after they had, with many breaks, read Edgar's letter to the end before Rupert and Madge could compose themselves sufficiently to accompany their father into the drawing-room.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading It was a long time after they had, with many breaks, read Edgar's letter to the end before Rupert and Madge could compose themselves sufficiently to accompany their father into the drawing-room.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading It was a long time after they had, with many breaks, read Edgar's letter to the end before Rupert and Madge could compose themselves sufficiently to accompany their father into the drawing-room.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It was a long time after they had, with many breaks, read Edgar's letter to the end before Rupert and Madge could compose themselves sufficiently to accompany their father into the drawing-room.
in contact with each other or in proximity
From this reading They again broke down when they met their mother; and it was not until Captain Clinton said, "Come, we must all pull ourselves together and see what is to be done, and talk the whole matter over calmly," that by a great effort they recovered their composure.
make an effort or attempt
From this reading "Now, in the first place, we must try to find Edgar.
twenty-fouradjectiveUS /ˈtwentifɔːr/
being four more than twenty
From this reading He has got twenty-four hours' start of us, but that is not very much.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading They again broke down when they met their mother; and it was not until Captain Clinton said, "Come, we must all pull ourselves together and see what is to be done, and talk the whole matter over calmly," that by a great effort they recovered their composure.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He has got twenty-four hours' start of us, but that is not very much.
precisely as stated
From this reading He has got twenty-four hours' start of us, but that is not very much.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was a long time after they had, with many breaks, read Edgar's letter to the end before Rupert and Madge could compose themselves sufficiently to accompany their father into the drawing-room.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading They again broke down when they met their mother; and it was not until Captain Clinton said, "Come, we must all pull ourselves together and see what is to be done, and talk the whole matter over calmly," that by a great effort they recovered their composure.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading They again broke down when they met their mother; and it was not until Captain Clinton said, "Come, we must all pull ourselves together and see what is to be done, and talk the whole matter over calmly," that by a great effort they recovered their composure.
at the time that
From this reading They again broke down when they met their mother; and it was not until Captain Clinton said, "Come, we must all pull ourselves together and see what is to be done, and talk the whole matter over calmly," that by a great effort they recovered their composure.
including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete
From this reading They again broke down when they met their mother; and it was not until Captain Clinton said, "Come, we must all pull ourselves together and see what is to be done, and talk the whole matter over calmly," that by a great effort they recovered their composure.
in the company of; together with
From this reading It was a long time after they had, with many breaks, read Edgar's letter to the end before Rupert and Madge could compose themselves sufficiently to accompany their father into the drawing-room.
