Chapter II · Which Introduces the Heroine’s Godmother

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading If Philomène had not actually a fairy godmother, she had at least the nearest possible approach to one.

in actual fact

From this reading If Philomène had not actually a fairy godmother, she had at least the nearest possible approach to one.

(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 She had a dear little country house called the Cushats, which stood among pinewoods where pigeons cooed to each other all day long, and the sea was not far off.

surrounded by; in the middle of a group

From this reading She had a dear little country house called the Cushats, which stood among pinewoods where pigeons cooed to each other all day long, and the sea was not far off.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading She had the red hair that artists love, a wild-rose complexion, and a gentle, even voice, which never scolded and never sneered; she had cool white hands with twinkling rings, and her dresses made a stately silken frou-frou on the stairs, bringing with them a faint fragrance of lavender and old-world pot-pourri.

move towards

From this reading If Philomène had not actually a fairy godmother, she had at least the nearest possible approach to one.

plural of “artist” — a person whose creative work shows sensitivity and imagination

From this reading She had the red hair that artists love, a wild-rose complexion, and a gentle, even voice, which never scolded and never sneered; she had cool white hands with twinkling rings, and her dresses made a stately silken frou-frou on the stairs, bringing with them a faint fragrance of lavender and old-world pot-pourri.

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading Here the summer holidays were spent by Philomène, “little cushat” as Godmother called her at times, for, as the Danish proverb says, “a dear child has many names.”

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading If Philomène had not actually a fairy godmother, she had at least the nearest possible approach to one.

delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration

From this reading To begin with, Godmother was beautiful.

take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading To begin with, Godmother was beautiful.

the act of delivering or distributing something (as goods or mail)

From this reading She had the red hair that artists love, a wild-rose complexion, and a gentle, even voice, which never scolded and never sneered; she had cool white hands with twinkling rings, and her dresses made a stately silken frou-frou on the stairs, bringing with them a faint fragrance of lavender and old-world pot-pourri.

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Here the summer holidays were spent by Philomène, “little cushat” as Godmother called her at times, for, as the Danish proverb says, “a dear child has many names.”

past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading She had a dear little country house called the Cushats, which stood among pinewoods where pigeons cooed to each other all day long, and the sea was not far off.

a young person of either sex

From this reading Here the summer holidays were spent by Philomène, “little cushat” as Godmother called her at times, for, as the Danish proverb says, “a dear child has many names.”

the coloring of a person's face

From this reading She had the red hair that artists love, a wild-rose complexion, and a gentle, even voice, which never scolded and never sneered; she had cool white hands with twinkling rings, and her dresses made a stately silken frou-frou on the stairs, bringing with them a faint fragrance of lavender and old-world pot-pourri.

past form of “coo” — speak softly or lovingly

From this reading She had a dear little country house called the Cushats, which stood among pinewoods where pigeons cooed to each other all day long, and the sea was not far off.

neither warm nor very cold; giving relief from heat

From this reading She had the red hair that artists love, a wild-rose complexion, and a gentle, even voice, which never scolded and never sneered; she had cool white hands with twinkling rings, and her dresses made a stately silken frou-frou on the stairs, bringing with them a faint fragrance of lavender and old-world pot-pourri.

a politically organized body of people under a single government

From this reading She had a dear little country house called the Cushats, which stood among pinewoods where pigeons cooed to each other all day long, and the sea was not far off.

Eurasian pigeon with white patches on wings and neck

From this reading Here the summer holidays were spent by Philomène, “little cushat” as Godmother called her at times, for, as the Danish proverb says, “a dear child has many names.”

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading She had a dear little country house called the Cushats, which stood among pinewoods where pigeons cooed to each other all day long, and the sea was not far off.

a Scandinavian language that is the official language of Denmark

From this reading Here the summer holidays were spent by Philomène, “little cushat” as Godmother called her at times, for, as the Danish proverb says, “a dear child has many names.”

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading She had a dear little country house called the Cushats, which stood among pinewoods where pigeons cooed to each other all day long, and the sea was not far off.

dearly loved

From this reading She had a dear little country house called the Cushats, which stood among pinewoods where pigeons cooed to each other all day long, and the sea was not far off.

plural of “dress” — a one-piece garment for a woman; has skirt and bodice

From this reading She had the red hair that artists love, a wild-rose complexion, and a gentle, even voice, which never scolded and never sneered; she had cool white hands with twinkling rings, and her dresses made a stately silken frou-frou on the stairs, bringing with them a faint fragrance of lavender and old-world pot-pourri.

every one of two or more people or things, taken separately

From this reading She had a dear little country house called the Cushats, which stood among pinewoods where pigeons cooed to each other all day long, and the sea was not far off.

divisible by two

From this reading She had the red hair that artists love, a wild-rose complexion, and a gentle, even voice, which never scolded and never sneered; she had cool white hands with twinkling rings, and her dresses made a stately silken frou-frou on the stairs, bringing with them a faint fragrance of lavender and old-world pot-pourri.

deficient in magnitude; barely perceptible; lacking clarity or brightness or loudness etc

From this reading She had the red hair that artists love, a wild-rose complexion, and a gentle, even voice, which never scolded and never sneered; she had cool white hands with twinkling rings, and her dresses made a stately silken frou-frou on the stairs, bringing with them a faint fragrance of lavender and old-world pot-pourri.

a small being, human in form, playful and having magical powers

From this reading If Philomène had not actually a fairy godmother, she had at least the nearest possible approach to one.

to a considerable degree; very much

From this reading She had a dear little country house called the Cushats, which stood among pinewoods where pigeons cooed to each other all day long, and the sea was not far off.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Here the summer holidays were spent by Philomène, “little cushat” as Godmother called her at times, for, as the Danish proverb says, “a dear child has many names.”

a distinctive odor that is pleasant

From this reading She had the red hair that artists love, a wild-rose complexion, and a gentle, even voice, which never scolded and never sneered; she had cool white hands with twinkling rings, and her dresses made a stately silken frou-frou on the stairs, bringing with them a faint fragrance of lavender and old-world pot-pourri.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading She had the red hair that artists love, a wild-rose complexion, and a gentle, even voice, which never scolded and never sneered; she had cool white hands with twinkling rings, and her dresses made a stately silken frou-frou on the stairs, bringing with them a faint fragrance of lavender and old-world pot-pourri.

soft and mild; not harsh or stern or severe

From this reading She had the red hair that artists love, a wild-rose complexion, and a gentle, even voice, which never scolded and never sneered; she had cool white hands with twinkling rings, and her dresses made a stately silken frou-frou on the stairs, bringing with them a faint fragrance of lavender and old-world pot-pourri.

any woman who serves as a sponsor for a child at baptism

From this reading If Philomène had not actually a fairy godmother, she had at least the nearest possible approach to one.

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading If Philomène had not actually a fairy godmother, she had at least the nearest possible approach to one.

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 She had the red hair that artists love, a wild-rose complexion, and a gentle, even voice, which never scolded and never sneered; she had cool white hands with twinkling rings, and her dresses made a stately silken frou-frou on the stairs, bringing with them a faint fragrance of lavender and old-world pot-pourri.

(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child

From this reading She had the red hair that artists love, a wild-rose complexion, and a gentle, even voice, which never scolded and never sneered; she had cool white hands with twinkling rings, and her dresses made a stately silken frou-frou on the stairs, bringing with them a faint fragrance of lavender and old-world pot-pourri.

the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Here the summer holidays were spent by Philomène, “little cushat” as Godmother called her at times, for, as the Danish proverb says, “a dear child has many names.”

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading She had the red hair that artists love, a wild-rose complexion, and a gentle, even voice, which never scolded and never sneered; she had cool white hands with twinkling rings, and her dresses made a stately silken frou-frou on the stairs, bringing with them a faint fragrance of lavender and old-world pot-pourri.

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading Here the summer holidays were spent by Philomène, “little cushat” as Godmother called her at times, for, as the Danish proverb says, “a dear child has many names.”

plural of “holiday” — leisure time away from work devoted to rest or pleasure

From this reading Here the summer holidays were spent by Philomène, “little cushat” as Godmother called her at times, for, as the Danish proverb says, “a dear child has many names.”

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading She had a dear little country house called the Cushats, which stood among pinewoods where pigeons cooed to each other all day long, and the sea was not far off.

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading If Philomène had not actually a fairy godmother, she had at least the nearest possible approach to one.

of a pale purple color

From this reading She had the red hair that artists love, a wild-rose complexion, and a gentle, even voice, which never scolded and never sneered; she had cool white hands with twinkling rings, and her dresses made a stately silken frou-frou on the stairs, bringing with them a faint fragrance of lavender and old-world pot-pourri.

the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree

From this reading If Philomène had not actually a fairy godmother, she had at least the nearest possible approach to one.

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading She had a dear little country house called the Cushats, which stood among pinewoods where pigeons cooed to each other all day long, and the sea was not far off.

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 She had a dear little country house called the Cushats, which stood among pinewoods where pigeons cooed to each other all day long, and the sea was not far off.

a strong positive emotion of regard and affection

From this reading She had the red hair that artists love, a wild-rose complexion, and a gentle, even voice, which never scolded and never sneered; she had cool white hands with twinkling rings, and her dresses made a stately silken frou-frou on the stairs, bringing with them a faint fragrance of lavender and old-world pot-pourri.

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading She had the red hair that artists love, a wild-rose complexion, and a gentle, even voice, which never scolded and never sneered; she had cool white hands with twinkling rings, and her dresses made a stately silken frou-frou on the stairs, bringing with them a faint fragrance of lavender and old-world pot-pourri.

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 Here the summer holidays were spent by Philomène, “little cushat” as Godmother called her at times, for, as the Danish proverb says, “a dear child has many names.”

verbal abuse; a crude substitute for argument

From this reading Here the summer holidays were spent by Philomène, “little cushat” as Godmother called her at times, for, as the Danish proverb says, “a dear child has many names.”

(superlative of “near” or “close”) within the shortest distance

From this reading If Philomène had not actually a fairy godmother, she had at least the nearest possible approach to one.

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading She had the red hair that artists love, a wild-rose complexion, and a gentle, even voice, which never scolded and never sneered; she had cool white hands with twinkling rings, and her dresses made a stately silken frou-frou on the stairs, bringing with them a faint fragrance of lavender and old-world pot-pourri.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading If Philomène had not actually a fairy godmother, she had at least the nearest possible approach to one.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading She had the red hair that artists love, a wild-rose complexion, and a gentle, even voice, which never scolded and never sneered; she had cool white hands with twinkling rings, and her dresses made a stately silken frou-frou on the stairs, bringing with them a faint fragrance of lavender and old-world pot-pourri.

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading She had a dear little country house called the Cushats, which stood among pinewoods where pigeons cooed to each other all day long, and the sea was not far off.

characteristic of former times especially in Europe

From this reading She had the red hair that artists love, a wild-rose complexion, and a gentle, even voice, which never scolded and never sneered; she had cool white hands with twinkling rings, and her dresses made a stately silken frou-frou on the stairs, bringing with them a faint fragrance of lavender and old-world pot-pourri.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading She had the red hair that artists love, a wild-rose complexion, and a gentle, even voice, which never scolded and never sneered; she had cool white hands with twinkling rings, and her dresses made a stately silken frou-frou on the stairs, bringing with them a faint fragrance of lavender and old-world pot-pourri.

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading If Philomène had not actually a fairy godmother, she had at least the nearest possible approach to one.

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading She had a dear little country house called the Cushats, which stood among pinewoods where pigeons cooed to each other all day long, and the sea was not far off.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading If Philomène had not actually a fairy godmother, she had at least the nearest possible approach to one.

plural of “pigeon” — wild and domesticated birds having a heavy body and short legs

From this reading She had a dear little country house called the Cushats, which stood among pinewoods where pigeons cooed to each other all day long, and the sea was not far off.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading She had a dear little country house called the Cushats, which stood among pinewoods where pigeons cooed to each other all day long, and the sea was not far off.

capable of happening or existing

From this reading If Philomène had not actually a fairy godmother, she had at least the nearest possible approach to one.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading She had the red hair that artists love, a wild-rose complexion, and a gentle, even voice, which never scolded and never sneered; she had cool white hands with twinkling rings, and her dresses made a stately silken frou-frou on the stairs, bringing with them a faint fragrance of lavender and old-world pot-pourri.

a condensed but memorable saying embodying some important fact of experience that is taken as true by many people

From this reading Here the summer holidays were spent by Philomène, “little cushat” as Godmother called her at times, for, as the Danish proverb says, “a dear child has many names.”

red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood

From this reading She had the red hair that artists love, a wild-rose complexion, and a gentle, even voice, which never scolded and never sneered; she had cool white hands with twinkling rings, and her dresses made a stately silken frou-frou on the stairs, bringing with them a faint fragrance of lavender and old-world pot-pourri.

gymnastic apparatus consisting of a pair of heavy metal circles (usually covered with leather) suspended by ropes; used for gymnastic exercises

From this reading She had the red hair that artists love, a wild-rose complexion, and a gentle, even voice, which never scolded and never sneered; she had cool white hands with twinkling rings, and her dresses made a stately silken frou-frou on the stairs, bringing with them a faint fragrance of lavender and old-world pot-pourri.

plural of “say” — the chance to speak

From this reading Here the summer holidays were spent by Philomène, “little cushat” as Godmother called her at times, for, as the Danish proverb says, “a dear child has many names.”

past form of “scold” — censure severely or angrily

From this reading She had the red hair that artists love, a wild-rose complexion, and a gentle, even voice, which never scolded and never sneered; she had cool white hands with twinkling rings, and her dresses made a stately silken frou-frou on the stairs, bringing with them a faint fragrance of lavender and old-world pot-pourri.

a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land

From this reading She had a dear little country house called the Cushats, which stood among pinewoods where pigeons cooed to each other all day long, and the sea was not far off.

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading If Philomène had not actually a fairy godmother, she had at least the nearest possible approach to one.

having a smooth, gleaming surface reflecting light

From this reading She had the red hair that artists love, a wild-rose complexion, and a gentle, even voice, which never scolded and never sneered; she had cool white hands with twinkling rings, and her dresses made a stately silken frou-frou on the stairs, bringing with them a faint fragrance of lavender and old-world pot-pourri.

past form of “sneer” — express through a scornful smile

From this reading She had the red hair that artists love, a wild-rose complexion, and a gentle, even voice, which never scolded and never sneered; she had cool white hands with twinkling rings, and her dresses made a stately silken frou-frou on the stairs, bringing with them a faint fragrance of lavender and old-world pot-pourri.

depleted of energy, force, or strength

From this reading Here the summer holidays were spent by Philomène, “little cushat” as Godmother called her at times, for, as the Danish proverb says, “a dear child has many names.”

a flight of stairs or a flight of steps

From this reading She had the red hair that artists love, a wild-rose complexion, and a gentle, even voice, which never scolded and never sneered; she had cool white hands with twinkling rings, and her dresses made a stately silken frou-frou on the stairs, bringing with them a faint fragrance of lavender and old-world pot-pourri.

impressive in appearance

From this reading She had the red hair that artists love, a wild-rose complexion, and a gentle, even voice, which never scolded and never sneered; she had cool white hands with twinkling rings, and her dresses made a stately silken frou-frou on the stairs, bringing with them a faint fragrance of lavender and old-world pot-pourri.

Maintained an upright posture.

From this reading She had a dear little country house called the Cushats, which stood among pinewoods where pigeons cooed to each other all day long, and the sea was not far off.

the warmest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the summer solstice to the autumnal equinox

From this reading Here the summer holidays were spent by Philomène, “little cushat” as Godmother called her at times, for, as the Danish proverb says, “a dear child has many names.”

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading She had the red hair that artists love, a wild-rose complexion, and a gentle, even voice, which never scolded and never sneered; she had cool white hands with twinkling rings, and her dresses made a stately silken frou-frou on the stairs, bringing with them a faint fragrance of lavender and old-world pot-pourri.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading If Philomène had not actually a fairy godmother, she had at least the nearest possible approach to one.

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading She had the red hair that artists love, a wild-rose complexion, and a gentle, even voice, which never scolded and never sneered; she had cool white hands with twinkling rings, and her dresses made a stately silken frou-frou on the stairs, bringing with them a faint fragrance of lavender and old-world pot-pourri.

a more or less definite period of time now or previously present

From this reading Here the summer holidays were spent by Philomène, “little cushat” as Godmother called her at times, for, as the Danish proverb says, “a dear child has many names.”

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading If Philomène had not actually a fairy godmother, she had at least the nearest possible approach to one.

a very short time (as the time it takes the eye to blink or the heart to beat)

From this reading She had the red hair that artists love, a wild-rose complexion, and a gentle, even voice, which never scolded and never sneered; she had cool white hands with twinkling rings, and her dresses made a stately silken frou-frou on the stairs, bringing with them a faint fragrance of lavender and old-world pot-pourri.

the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech

From this reading She had the red hair that artists love, a wild-rose complexion, and a gentle, even voice, which never scolded and never sneered; she had cool white hands with twinkling rings, and her dresses made a stately silken frou-frou on the stairs, bringing with them a faint fragrance of lavender and old-world pot-pourri.

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading To begin with, Godmother was beautiful.

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading Here the summer holidays were spent by Philomène, “little cushat” as Godmother called her at times, for, as the Danish proverb says, “a dear child has many names.”

in or at the place that

From this reading She had a dear little country house called the Cushats, which stood among pinewoods where pigeons cooed to each other all day long, and the sea was not far off.

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading She had the red hair that artists love, a wild-rose complexion, and a gentle, even voice, which never scolded and never sneered; she had cool white hands with twinkling rings, and her dresses made a stately silken frou-frou on the stairs, bringing with them a faint fragrance of lavender and old-world pot-pourri.

a Caucasian

From this reading She had the red hair that artists love, a wild-rose complexion, and a gentle, even voice, which never scolded and never sneered; she had cool white hands with twinkling rings, and her dresses made a stately silken frou-frou on the stairs, bringing with them a faint fragrance of lavender and old-world pot-pourri.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading She had the red hair that artists love, a wild-rose complexion, and a gentle, even voice, which never scolded and never sneered; she had cool white hands with twinkling rings, and her dresses made a stately silken frou-frou on the stairs, bringing with them a faint fragrance of lavender and old-world pot-pourri.

in the company of; together with

From this reading To begin with, Godmother was beautiful.