used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Now when Philomène was still quite a little girl she had had some playfellows whom neither Nurse nor Miss Mills knew anything about, and these were her green dwarfs and Mrs Handy.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Now when Philomène was still quite a little girl she had had some playfellows whom neither Nurse nor Miss Mills knew anything about, and these were her green dwarfs and Mrs Handy.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading No sooner had Nurse closed the bedroom door and sat down to her sewing-machine at the schoolroom table, than Philomène would knock upon the wall against which her bed was placed, and the dwarfs would appear, not all together, but one by one, peaked hats foremost.
(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 No sooner had Nurse closed the bedroom door and sat down to her sewing-machine at the schoolroom table, than Philomène would knock upon the wall against which her bed was placed, and the dwarfs would appear, not all together, but one by one, peaked hats foremost.
pleasantly occupied
From this reading Then they would keep her amused, generally by story-telling, till she felt herself growing drowsy, when she would wave her hand right royally, and back they would disappear into the wall.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Now when Philomène was still quite a little girl she had had some playfellows whom neither Nurse nor Miss Mills knew anything about, and these were her green dwarfs and Mrs Handy.
any thing at all
From this reading Now when Philomène was still quite a little girl she had had some playfellows whom neither Nurse nor Miss Mills knew anything about, and these were her green dwarfs and Mrs Handy.
give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading No sooner had Nurse closed the bedroom door and sat down to her sewing-machine at the schoolroom table, than Philomène would knock upon the wall against which her bed was placed, and the dwarfs would appear, not all together, but one by one, peaked hats foremost.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The green dwarfs (there were six of them) lived in the wall beside her bed; they wore pointed shoes and peaked hats, and they waited upon her as pages.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading No sooner had Nurse closed the bedroom door and sat down to her sewing-machine at the schoolroom table, than Philomène would knock upon the wall against which her bed was placed, and the dwarfs would appear, not all together, but one by one, peaked hats foremost.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading Then they would keep her amused, generally by story-telling, till she felt herself growing drowsy, when she would wave her hand right royally, and back they would disappear into the wall.
a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep
From this reading The green dwarfs (there were six of them) lived in the wall beside her bed; they wore pointed shoes and peaked hats, and they waited upon her as pages.
a room used primarily for sleeping
From this reading No sooner had Nurse closed the bedroom door and sat down to her sewing-machine at the schoolroom table, than Philomène would knock upon the wall against which her bed was placed, and the dwarfs would appear, not all together, but one by one, peaked hats foremost.
next to; at the side of
From this reading The green dwarfs (there were six of them) lived in the wall beside her bed; they wore pointed shoes and peaked hats, and they waited upon her as pages.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading No sooner had Nurse closed the bedroom door and sat down to her sewing-machine at the schoolroom table, than Philomène would knock upon the wall against which her bed was placed, and the dwarfs would appear, not all together, but one by one, peaked hats foremost.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading No sooner had Nurse closed the bedroom door and sat down to her sewing-machine at the schoolroom table, than Philomène would knock upon the wall against which her bed was placed, and the dwarfs would appear, not all together, but one by one, peaked hats foremost.
not open or affording passage or access
From this reading No sooner had Nurse closed the bedroom door and sat down to her sewing-machine at the schoolroom table, than Philomène would knock upon the wall against which her bed was placed, and the dwarfs would appear, not all together, but one by one, peaked hats foremost.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading She could not remember ever having deliberately invented them; she had gradually come to know them.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading She could not remember ever having deliberately invented them; she had gradually come to know them.
deliberatelyadverbUS /dɪˈlɪbərətli/
with intention; in an intentional manner
From this reading She could not remember ever having deliberately invented them; she had gradually come to know them.
disappearverbUS /ˌdɪsəˈpɪr/
get lost, as without warning or explanation
From this reading Then they would keep her amused, generally by story-telling, till she felt herself growing drowsy, when she would wave her hand right royally, and back they would disappear into the wall.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading No sooner had Nurse closed the bedroom door and sat down to her sewing-machine at the schoolroom table, than Philomène would knock upon the wall against which her bed was placed, and the dwarfs would appear, not all together, but one by one, peaked hats foremost.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading No sooner had Nurse closed the bedroom door and sat down to her sewing-machine at the schoolroom table, than Philomène would knock upon the wall against which her bed was placed, and the dwarfs would appear, not all together, but one by one, peaked hats foremost.
drowsyadjectiveUS /ˈdraʊzi/
half asleep
From this reading Then they would keep her amused, generally by story-telling, till she felt herself growing drowsy, when she would wave her hand right royally, and back they would disappear into the wall.
dwarfsnounUS /dwɔːrfs/
plural of “dwarf” — a person who is markedly small
From this reading Now when Philomène was still quite a little girl she had had some playfellows whom neither Nurse nor Miss Mills knew anything about, and these were her green dwarfs and Mrs Handy.
at any time
From this reading She could not remember ever having deliberately invented them; she had gradually come to know them.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading Then they would keep her amused, generally by story-telling, till she felt herself growing drowsy, when she would wave her hand right royally, and back they would disappear into the wall.
foremostadjectiveUS /ˈfɔːrmoʊst/
ranking above all others
From this reading No sooner had Nurse closed the bedroom door and sat down to her sewing-machine at the schoolroom table, than Philomène would knock upon the wall against which her bed was placed, and the dwarfs would appear, not all together, but one by one, peaked hats foremost.
usually; as a rule
From this reading Then they would keep her amused, generally by story-telling, till she felt herself growing drowsy, when she would wave her hand right royally, and back they would disappear into the wall.
a young female
From this reading Now when Philomène was still quite a little girl she had had some playfellows whom neither Nurse nor Miss Mills knew anything about, and these were her green dwarfs and Mrs Handy.
in a gradual manner
From this reading She could not remember ever having deliberately invented them; she had gradually come to know them.
green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass
From this reading Now when Philomène was still quite a little girl she had had some playfellows whom neither Nurse nor Miss Mills knew anything about, and these were her green dwarfs and Mrs Handy.
(biology) the process of an individual organism growing organically; a purely biological unfolding of events involved in an organism changing gradually from a simple to a more complex level
From this reading Then they would keep her amused, generally by story-telling, till she felt herself growing drowsy, when she would wave her hand right royally, and back they would disappear into the wall.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Now when Philomène was still quite a little girl she had had some playfellows whom neither Nurse nor Miss Mills knew anything about, and these were her green dwarfs and Mrs Handy.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading Then they would keep her amused, generally by story-telling, till she felt herself growing drowsy, when she would wave her hand right royally, and back they would disappear into the wall.
HandyadjectiveUS /ˈhændi/
easy to reach
From this reading Now when Philomène was still quite a little girl she had had some playfellows whom neither Nurse nor Miss Mills knew anything about, and these were her green dwarfs and Mrs Handy.
hatsnounUS /hæts/
plural of “hat” — headdress that protects the head from bad weather; has shaped crown and usually a brim
From this reading The green dwarfs (there were six of them) lived in the wall beside her bed; they wore pointed shoes and peaked hats, and they waited upon her as pages.
havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/
the -ing form of “have”
From this reading She could not remember ever having deliberately invented them; she had gradually come to know them.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Now when Philomène was still quite a little girl she had had some playfellows whom neither Nurse nor Miss Mills knew anything about, and these were her green dwarfs and Mrs Handy.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading Then they would keep her amused, generally by story-telling, till she felt herself growing drowsy, when she would wave her hand right royally, and back they would disappear into the wall.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The green dwarfs (there were six of them) lived in the wall beside her bed; they wore pointed shoes and peaked hats, and they waited upon her as pages.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Then they would keep her amused, generally by story-telling, till she felt herself growing drowsy, when she would wave her hand right royally, and back they would disappear into the wall.
inventedverbUS /ˌɪnˈventəd/
past form of “invent” — come up with (an idea, plan, explanation, theory, or principle) after a mental effort
From this reading She could not remember ever having deliberately invented them; she had gradually come to know them.
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading Then they would keep her amused, generally by story-telling, till she felt herself growing drowsy, when she would wave her hand right royally, and back they would disappear into the wall.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading Now when Philomène was still quite a little girl she had had some playfellows whom neither Nurse nor Miss Mills knew anything about, and these were her green dwarfs and Mrs Handy.
deliver a sharp blow or push
From this reading No sooner had Nurse closed the bedroom door and sat down to her sewing-machine at the schoolroom table, than Philomène would knock upon the wall against which her bed was placed, and the dwarfs would appear, not all together, but one by one, peaked hats foremost.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading She could not remember ever having deliberately invented them; she had gradually come to know them.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Now when Philomène was still quite a little girl she had had some playfellows whom neither Nurse nor Miss Mills knew anything about, and these were her green dwarfs and Mrs Handy.
past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading The green dwarfs (there were six of them) lived in the wall beside her bed; they wore pointed shoes and peaked hats, and they waited upon her as pages.
MillsnounUS /mɪlz/
United States architect who was the presidentially appointed architect of Washington D.C. (1781-1855)
From this reading Now when Philomène was still quite a little girl she had had some playfellows whom neither Nurse nor Miss Mills knew anything about, and these were her green dwarfs and Mrs Handy.
fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind
From this reading Now when Philomène was still quite a little girl she had had some playfellows whom neither Nurse nor Miss Mills knew anything about, and these were her green dwarfs and Mrs Handy.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading Now when Philomène was still quite a little girl she had had some playfellows whom neither Nurse nor Miss Mills knew anything about, and these were her green dwarfs and Mrs Handy.
not one and not the other of two
From this reading Now when Philomène was still quite a little girl she had had some playfellows whom neither Nurse nor Miss Mills knew anything about, and these were her green dwarfs and Mrs Handy.
not any; not one
From this reading No sooner had Nurse closed the bedroom door and sat down to her sewing-machine at the schoolroom table, than Philomène would knock upon the wall against which her bed was placed, and the dwarfs would appear, not all together, but one by one, peaked hats foremost.
and not; used after a negative to add a second negative
From this reading Now when Philomène was still quite a little girl she had had some playfellows whom neither Nurse nor Miss Mills knew anything about, and these were her green dwarfs and Mrs Handy.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading She could not remember ever having deliberately invented them; she had gradually come to know them.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Now when Philomène was still quite a little girl she had had some playfellows whom neither Nurse nor Miss Mills knew anything about, and these were her green dwarfs and Mrs Handy.
try to cure by special care of treatment, of an illness or injury
From this reading Now when Philomène was still quite a little girl she had had some playfellows whom neither Nurse nor Miss Mills knew anything about, and these were her green dwarfs and Mrs Handy.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The green dwarfs (there were six of them) lived in the wall beside her bed; they wore pointed shoes and peaked hats, and they waited upon her as pages.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading No sooner had Nurse closed the bedroom door and sat down to her sewing-machine at the schoolroom table, than Philomène would knock upon the wall against which her bed was placed, and the dwarfs would appear, not all together, but one by one, peaked hats foremost.
plural of “page” — one side of one leaf (of a book or magazine or newspaper or letter etc.) or the written or pictorial matter it contains
From this reading The green dwarfs (there were six of them) lived in the wall beside her bed; they wore pointed shoes and peaked hats, and they waited upon her as pages.
peakedadjectiveUS /piːkt/
somewhat ill or prone to illness
From this reading The green dwarfs (there were six of them) lived in the wall beside her bed; they wore pointed shoes and peaked hats, and they waited upon her as pages.
Philomène
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Now when Philomène was still quite a little girl she had had some playfellows whom neither Nurse nor Miss Mills knew anything about, and these were her green dwarfs and Mrs Handy.
situated in a particular spot or position
From this reading No sooner had Nurse closed the bedroom door and sat down to her sewing-machine at the schoolroom table, than Philomène would knock upon the wall against which her bed was placed, and the dwarfs would appear, not all together, but one by one, peaked hats foremost.
playfellows
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Now when Philomène was still quite a little girl she had had some playfellows whom neither Nurse nor Miss Mills knew anything about, and these were her green dwarfs and Mrs Handy.
having a point
From this reading The green dwarfs (there were six of them) lived in the wall beside her bed; they wore pointed shoes and peaked hats, and they waited upon her as pages.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading Now when Philomène was still quite a little girl she had had some playfellows whom neither Nurse nor Miss Mills knew anything about, and these were her green dwarfs and Mrs Handy.
To recall to mind.
From this reading She could not remember ever having deliberately invented them; she had gradually come to know them.
precisely, exactly
From this reading Then they would keep her amused, generally by story-telling, till she felt herself growing drowsy, when she would wave her hand right royally, and back they would disappear into the wall.
royallyadverbUS /ˈrɔɪəli/
in a royal manner
From this reading Then they would keep her amused, generally by story-telling, till she felt herself growing drowsy, when she would wave her hand right royally, and back they would disappear into the wall.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading No sooner had Nurse closed the bedroom door and sat down to her sewing-machine at the schoolroom table, than Philomène would knock upon the wall against which her bed was placed, and the dwarfs would appear, not all together, but one by one, peaked hats foremost.
schoolroomnounUS /ˈskuːlruːm/
a room in a school where lessons take place
From this reading No sooner had Nurse closed the bedroom door and sat down to her sewing-machine at the schoolroom table, than Philomène would knock upon the wall against which her bed was placed, and the dwarfs would appear, not all together, but one by one, peaked hats foremost.
sewing-machine
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading No sooner had Nurse closed the bedroom door and sat down to her sewing-machine at the schoolroom table, than Philomène would knock upon the wall against which her bed was placed, and the dwarfs would appear, not all together, but one by one, peaked hats foremost.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Now when Philomène was still quite a little girl she had had some playfellows whom neither Nurse nor Miss Mills knew anything about, and these were her green dwarfs and Mrs Handy.
a particular situation
From this reading The green dwarfs (there were six of them) lived in the wall beside her bed; they wore pointed shoes and peaked hats, and they waited upon her as pages.
the cardinal number that is the sum of five and one
From this reading The green dwarfs (there were six of them) lived in the wall beside her bed; they wore pointed shoes and peaked hats, and they waited upon her as pages.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Now when Philomène was still quite a little girl she had had some playfellows whom neither Nurse nor Miss Mills knew anything about, and these were her green dwarfs and Mrs Handy.
comparatives of “soon” or “early”
From this reading No sooner had Nurse closed the bedroom door and sat down to her sewing-machine at the schoolroom table, than Philomène would knock upon the wall against which her bed was placed, and the dwarfs would appear, not all together, but one by one, peaked hats foremost.
not in physical motion
From this reading Now when Philomène was still quite a little girl she had had some playfellows whom neither Nurse nor Miss Mills knew anything about, and these were her green dwarfs and Mrs Handy.
story-telling
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then they would keep her amused, generally by story-telling, till she felt herself growing drowsy, when she would wave her hand right royally, and back they would disappear into the wall.
a set of data arranged in rows and columns
From this reading No sooner had Nurse closed the bedroom door and sat down to her sewing-machine at the schoolroom table, than Philomène would knock upon the wall against which her bed was placed, and the dwarfs would appear, not all together, but one by one, peaked hats foremost.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading No sooner had Nurse closed the bedroom door and sat down to her sewing-machine at the schoolroom table, than Philomène would knock upon the wall against which her bed was placed, and the dwarfs would appear, not all together, but one by one, peaked hats foremost.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The green dwarfs (there were six of them) lived in the wall beside her bed; they wore pointed shoes and peaked hats, and they waited upon her as pages.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading The green dwarfs (there were six of them) lived in the wall beside her bed; they wore pointed shoes and peaked hats, and they waited upon her as pages.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then they would keep her amused, generally by story-telling, till she felt herself growing drowsy, when she would wave her hand right royally, and back they would disappear into the wall.
in or at that place or location
From this reading The green dwarfs (there were six of them) lived in the wall beside her bed; they wore pointed shoes and peaked hats, and they waited upon her as pages.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading Now when Philomène was still quite a little girl she had had some playfellows whom neither Nurse nor Miss Mills knew anything about, and these were her green dwarfs and Mrs Handy.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The green dwarfs (there were six of them) lived in the wall beside her bed; they wore pointed shoes and peaked hats, and they waited upon her as pages.
up to a particular time
From this reading Then they would keep her amused, generally by story-telling, till she felt herself growing drowsy, when she would wave her hand right royally, and back they would disappear into the wall.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading She could not remember ever having deliberately invented them; she had gradually come to know them.
in contact with each other or in proximity
From this reading No sooner had Nurse closed the bedroom door and sat down to her sewing-machine at the schoolroom table, than Philomène would knock upon the wall against which her bed was placed, and the dwarfs would appear, not all together, but one by one, peaked hats foremost.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading The green dwarfs (there were six of them) lived in the wall beside her bed; they wore pointed shoes and peaked hats, and they waited upon her as pages.
past form of “wait” — stay in one place and anticipate or expect something
From this reading The green dwarfs (there were six of them) lived in the wall beside her bed; they wore pointed shoes and peaked hats, and they waited upon her as pages.
an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure
From this reading The green dwarfs (there were six of them) lived in the wall beside her bed; they wore pointed shoes and peaked hats, and they waited upon her as pages.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Now when Philomène was still quite a little girl she had had some playfellows whom neither Nurse nor Miss Mills knew anything about, and these were her green dwarfs and Mrs Handy.
one of a series of ridges that moves across the surface of a liquid (especially across a large body of water)
From this reading Then they would keep her amused, generally by story-telling, till she felt herself growing drowsy, when she would wave her hand right royally, and back they would disappear into the wall.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Now when Philomène was still quite a little girl she had had some playfellows whom neither Nurse nor Miss Mills knew anything about, and these were her green dwarfs and Mrs Handy.
at the time that
From this reading Now when Philomène was still quite a little girl she had had some playfellows whom neither Nurse nor Miss Mills knew anything about, and these were her green dwarfs and Mrs Handy.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading No sooner had Nurse closed the bedroom door and sat down to her sewing-machine at the schoolroom table, than Philomène would knock upon the wall against which her bed was placed, and the dwarfs would appear, not all together, but one by one, peaked hats foremost.
the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Now when Philomène was still quite a little girl she had had some playfellows whom neither Nurse nor Miss Mills knew anything about, and these were her green dwarfs and Mrs Handy.
inflected form of “wear” — be dressed in
From this reading The green dwarfs (there were six of them) lived in the wall beside her bed; they wore pointed shoes and peaked hats, and they waited upon her as pages.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading No sooner had Nurse closed the bedroom door and sat down to her sewing-machine at the schoolroom table, than Philomène would knock upon the wall against which her bed was placed, and the dwarfs would appear, not all together, but one by one, peaked hats foremost.
