Chapter X · In Which the Heroine Has a Birthday

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

From this reading It was on a morning towards the end of June that she awoke with the delightful sensation that her birthday had come at last.

happening at a time subsequent to a reference time

From this reading Godmother had taught her the names of all sorts of flowers during her last summer holidays, so that she recognised almost all in the box, but a certain little white, blue and red pyramid was quite a stranger to her; she therefore christened it “N. or M.,” like the person in the Catechism, and N. or M. it remained to her ever afterwards, though later she knew it to be a kind of wild orchid.

(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 Godmother had taught her the names of all sorts of flowers during her last summer holidays, so that she recognised almost all in the box, but a certain little white, blue and red pyramid was quite a stranger to her; she therefore christened it “N. or M.,” like the person in the Catechism, and N. or M. it remained to her ever afterwards, though later she knew it to be a kind of wild orchid.

(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but

From this reading Godmother had taught her the names of all sorts of flowers during her last summer holidays, so that she recognised almost all in the box, but a certain little white, blue and red pyramid was quite a stranger to her; she therefore christened it “N. or M.,” like the person in the Catechism, and N. or M. it remained to her ever afterwards, though later she knew it to be a kind of wild orchid.

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

From this reading As the weather brightened and warmed into midsummer, most of Philomène’s free time was spent in the garden, and consequently with Sweet William.

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

From this reading As the weather brightened and warmed into midsummer, most of Philomène’s free time was spent in the garden, and consequently with Sweet William.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading It was on a morning towards the end of June that she awoke with the delightful sensation that her birthday had come at last.

inflected form of “awake” — stop sleeping

From this reading It was on a morning towards the end of June that she awoke with the delightful sensation that her birthday had come at last.

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading Godmother had taught her the names of all sorts of flowers during her last summer holidays, so that she recognised almost all in the box, but a certain little white, blue and red pyramid was quite a stranger to her; she therefore christened it “N. or M.,” like the person in the Catechism, and N. or M. it remained to her ever afterwards, though later she knew it to be a kind of wild orchid.

above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading By her plate at breakfast time lay a big box of wild flowers, sent by the gardener’s wife at the Cushats.

an anniversary of the day on which a person was born (or the celebration of it)

From this reading It was on a morning towards the end of June that she awoke with the delightful sensation that her birthday had come at last.

of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky

From this reading Godmother had taught her the names of all sorts of flowers during her last summer holidays, so that she recognised almost all in the box, but a certain little white, blue and red pyramid was quite a stranger to her; she therefore christened it “N. or M.,” like the person in the Catechism, and N. or M. it remained to her ever afterwards, though later she knew it to be a kind of wild orchid.

a (usually rectangular) container; may have a lid

From this reading By her plate at breakfast time lay a big box of wild flowers, sent by the gardener’s wife at the Cushats.

eat an early morning meal

From this reading By her plate at breakfast time lay a big box of wild flowers, sent by the gardener’s wife at the Cushats.

past form of “brighten” — make more cheerful through the use of color

From this reading As the weather brightened and warmed into midsummer, most of Philomène’s free time was spent in the garden, and consequently with Sweet William.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Godmother had taught her the names of all sorts of flowers during her last summer holidays, so that she recognised almost all in the box, but a certain little white, blue and red pyramid was quite a stranger to her; she therefore christened it “N. or M.,” like the person in the Catechism, and N. or M. it remained to her ever afterwards, though later she knew it to be a kind of wild orchid.

showing who or what does the action

From this reading By her plate at breakfast time lay a big box of wild flowers, sent by the gardener’s wife at the Cushats.

a series of question put to an individual (such as a political candidate) to elicit their views

From this reading Godmother had taught her the names of all sorts of flowers during her last summer holidays, so that she recognised almost all in the box, but a certain little white, blue and red pyramid was quite a stranger to her; she therefore christened it “N. or M.,” like the person in the Catechism, and N. or M. it remained to her ever afterwards, though later she knew it to be a kind of wild orchid.

definite but not specified or identified

From this reading Godmother had taught her the names of all sorts of flowers during her last summer holidays, so that she recognised almost all in the box, but a certain little white, blue and red pyramid was quite a stranger to her; she therefore christened it “N. or M.,” like the person in the Catechism, and N. or M. it remained to her ever afterwards, though later she knew it to be a kind of wild orchid.

past form of “christen” — administer baptism to

From this reading Godmother had taught her the names of all sorts of flowers during her last summer holidays, so that she recognised almost all in the box, but a certain little white, blue and red pyramid was quite a stranger to her; she therefore christened it “N. or M.,” like the person in the Catechism, and N. or M. it remained to her ever afterwards, though later she knew it to be a kind of wild orchid.

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading It was on a morning towards the end of June that she awoke with the delightful sensation that her birthday had come at last.

(sentence connectors) because of the reason given

From this reading As the weather brightened and warmed into midsummer, most of Philomène’s free time was spent in the garden, and consequently with Sweet William.

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

From this reading By her plate at breakfast time lay a big box of wild flowers, sent by the gardener’s wife at the Cushats.

greatly pleasing or entertaining

From this reading It was on a morning towards the end of June that she awoke with the delightful sensation that her birthday had come at last.

all through a period, or at some point within it

From this reading Godmother had taught her the names of all sorts of flowers during her last summer holidays, so that she recognised almost all in the box, but a certain little white, blue and red pyramid was quite a stranger to her; she therefore christened it “N. or M.,” like the person in the Catechism, and N. or M. it remained to her ever afterwards, though later she knew it to be a kind of wild orchid.

either extremity of something that has length

From this reading It was on a morning towards the end of June that she awoke with the delightful sensation that her birthday had come at last.

at any time

From this reading Godmother had taught her the names of all sorts of flowers during her last summer holidays, so that she recognised almost all in the box, but a certain little white, blue and red pyramid was quite a stranger to her; she therefore christened it “N. or M.,” like the person in the Catechism, and N. or M. it remained to her ever afterwards, though later she knew it to be a kind of wild orchid.

plural of “flower” — a plant cultivated for its blooms or blossoms

From this reading By her plate at breakfast time lay a big box of wild flowers, sent by the gardener’s wife at the Cushats.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Had she not waited a whole year for it?

grant freedom to; free from confinement

From this reading As the weather brightened and warmed into midsummer, most of Philomène’s free time was spent in the garden, and consequently with Sweet William.

a plot of ground where plants are cultivated

From this reading As the weather brightened and warmed into midsummer, most of Philomène’s free time was spent in the garden, and consequently with Sweet William.

possessive form of “gardener” — someone who takes care of a garden

From this reading By her plate at breakfast time lay a big box of wild flowers, sent by the gardener’s wife at the Cushats.

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

From this reading Godmother had taught her the names of all sorts of flowers during her last summer holidays, so that she recognised almost all in the box, but a certain little white, blue and red pyramid was quite a stranger to her; she therefore christened it “N. or M.,” like the person in the Catechism, and N. or M. it remained to her ever afterwards, though later she knew it to be a kind of wild orchid.

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

From this reading It was on a morning towards the end of June that she awoke with the delightful sensation that her birthday had come at last.

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

From this reading It was on a morning towards the end of June that she awoke with the delightful sensation that her birthday had come at last.

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

From this reading Godmother had taught her the names of all sorts of flowers during her last summer holidays, so that she recognised almost all in the box, but a certain little white, blue and red pyramid was quite a stranger to her; she therefore christened it “N. or M.,” like the person in the Catechism, and N. or M. it remained to her ever afterwards, though later she knew it to be a kind of wild orchid.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading As the weather brightened and warmed into midsummer, most of Philomène’s free time was spent in the garden, and consequently with Sweet William.

moving to the inside of something

From this reading As the weather brightened and warmed into midsummer, most of Philomène’s free time was spent in the garden, and consequently with Sweet William.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was on a morning towards the end of June that she awoke with the delightful sensation that her birthday had come at last.

the month following May and preceding July

From this reading It was on a morning towards the end of June that she awoke with the delightful sensation that her birthday had come at last.

having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior

From this reading Godmother had taught her the names of all sorts of flowers during her last summer holidays, so that she recognised almost all in the box, but a certain little white, blue and red pyramid was quite a stranger to her; she therefore christened it “N. or M.,” like the person in the Catechism, and N. or M. it remained to her ever afterwards, though later she knew it to be a kind of wild orchid.

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 Godmother had taught her the names of all sorts of flowers during her last summer holidays, so that she recognised almost all in the box, but a certain little white, blue and red pyramid was quite a stranger to her; she therefore christened it “N. or M.,” like the person in the Catechism, and N. or M. it remained to her ever afterwards, though later she knew it to be a kind of wild orchid.

immediately past

From this reading It was on a morning towards the end of June that she awoke with the delightful sensation that her birthday had come at last.

happening at a time subsequent to a reference time

From this reading Godmother had taught her the names of all sorts of flowers during her last summer holidays, so that she recognised almost all in the box, but a certain little white, blue and red pyramid was quite a stranger to her; she therefore christened it “N. or M.,” like the person in the Catechism, and N. or M. it remained to her ever afterwards, though later she knew it to be a kind of wild orchid.

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading By her plate at breakfast time lay a big box of wild flowers, sent by the gardener’s wife at the Cushats.

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading Godmother had taught her the names of all sorts of flowers during her last summer holidays, so that she recognised almost all in the box, but a certain little white, blue and red pyramid was quite a stranger to her; she therefore christened it “N. or M.,” like the person in the Catechism, and N. or M. it remained to her ever afterwards, though later she knew it to be a kind of wild orchid.

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

From this reading Godmother had taught her the names of all sorts of flowers during her last summer holidays, so that she recognised almost all in the box, but a certain little white, blue and red pyramid was quite a stranger to her; she therefore christened it “N. or M.,” like the person in the Catechism, and N. or M. it remained to her ever afterwards, though later she knew it to be a kind of wild orchid.

the basic unit of length adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites (approximately 1.094 yards)

From this reading Godmother had taught her the names of all sorts of flowers during her last summer holidays, so that she recognised almost all in the box, but a certain little white, blue and red pyramid was quite a stranger to her; she therefore christened it “N. or M.,” like the person in the Catechism, and N. or M. it remained to her ever afterwards, though later she knew it to be a kind of wild orchid.

June 21, when the sun is at its northernmost point

From this reading As the weather brightened and warmed into midsummer, most of Philomène’s free time was spent in the garden, and consequently with Sweet William.

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading It was on a morning towards the end of June that she awoke with the delightful sensation that her birthday had come at last.

used to form the superlative

From this reading As the weather brightened and warmed into midsummer, most of Philomène’s free time was spent in the garden, and consequently with Sweet William.

a common nonmetallic element that is normally a colorless odorless tasteless inert diatomic gas; constitutes 78 percent of the atmosphere by volume; a constituent of all living tissues

From this reading Godmother had taught her the names of all sorts of flowers during her last summer holidays, so that she recognised almost all in the box, but a certain little white, blue and red pyramid was quite a stranger to her; she therefore christened it “N. or M.,” like the person in the Catechism, and N. or M. it remained to her ever afterwards, though later she knew it to be a kind of wild orchid.

verbal abuse; a crude substitute for argument

From this reading Godmother had taught her the names of all sorts of flowers during her last summer holidays, so that she recognised almost all in the box, but a certain little white, blue and red pyramid was quite a stranger to her; she therefore christened it “N. or M.,” like the person in the Catechism, and N. or M. it remained to her ever afterwards, though later she knew it to be a kind of wild orchid.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Had she not waited a whole year for it?

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading As the weather brightened and warmed into midsummer, most of Philomène’s free time was spent in the garden, and consequently with Sweet William.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading It was on a morning towards the end of June that she awoke with the delightful sensation that her birthday had come at last.

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Godmother had taught her the names of all sorts of flowers during her last summer holidays, so that she recognised almost all in the box, but a certain little white, blue and red pyramid was quite a stranger to her; she therefore christened it “N. or M.,” like the person in the Catechism, and N. or M. it remained to her ever afterwards, though later she knew it to be a kind of wild orchid.

any of numerous plants of the orchid family usually having flowers of unusual shapes and beautiful colors

From this reading Godmother had taught her the names of all sorts of flowers during her last summer holidays, so that she recognised almost all in the box, but a certain little white, blue and red pyramid was quite a stranger to her; she therefore christened it “N. or M.,” like the person in the Catechism, and N. or M. it remained to her ever afterwards, though later she knew it to be a kind of wild orchid.

a human being

From this reading Godmother had taught her the names of all sorts of flowers during her last summer holidays, so that she recognised almost all in the box, but a certain little white, blue and red pyramid was quite a stranger to her; she therefore christened it “N. or M.,” like the person in the Catechism, and N. or M. it remained to her ever afterwards, though later she knew it to be a kind of wild orchid.

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

From this reading As the weather brightened and warmed into midsummer, most of Philomène’s free time was spent in the garden, and consequently with Sweet William.

(baseball) base consisting of a rubber slab where the batter stands; it must be touched by a base runner in order to score

From this reading By her plate at breakfast time lay a big box of wild flowers, sent by the gardener’s wife at the Cushats.

enlarge one's holdings on an exchange on a continued rise by using paper profits as margin to buy additional amounts

From this reading Godmother had taught her the names of all sorts of flowers during her last summer holidays, so that she recognised almost all in the box, but a certain little white, blue and red pyramid was quite a stranger to her; she therefore christened it “N. or M.,” like the person in the Catechism, and N. or M. it remained to her ever afterwards, though later she knew it to be a kind of wild orchid.

to a degree (not used with a negative)

From this reading Godmother had taught her the names of all sorts of flowers during her last summer holidays, so that she recognised almost all in the box, but a certain little white, blue and red pyramid was quite a stranger to her; she therefore christened it “N. or M.,” like the person in the Catechism, and N. or M. it remained to her ever afterwards, though later she knew it to be a kind of wild orchid.

provided with a secure reputation

From this reading Godmother had taught her the names of all sorts of flowers during her last summer holidays, so that she recognised almost all in the box, but a certain little white, blue and red pyramid was quite a stranger to her; she therefore christened it “N. or M.,” like the person in the Catechism, and N. or M. it remained to her ever afterwards, though later she knew it to be a kind of wild orchid.

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

From this reading Godmother had taught her the names of all sorts of flowers during her last summer holidays, so that she recognised almost all in the box, but a certain little white, blue and red pyramid was quite a stranger to her; she therefore christened it “N. or M.,” like the person in the Catechism, and N. or M. it remained to her ever afterwards, though later she knew it to be a kind of wild orchid.

past form of “remain” — stay the same; remain in a certain state

From this reading Godmother had taught her the names of all sorts of flowers during her last summer holidays, so that she recognised almost all in the box, but a certain little white, blue and red pyramid was quite a stranger to her; she therefore christened it “N. or M.,” like the person in the Catechism, and N. or M. it remained to her ever afterwards, though later she knew it to be a kind of wild orchid.

an unelaborated elementary awareness of stimulation

From this reading It was on a morning towards the end of June that she awoke with the delightful sensation that her birthday had come at last.

100 senti equal 1 kroon in Estonia

From this reading By her plate at breakfast time lay a big box of wild flowers, sent by the gardener’s wife at the Cushats.

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

From this reading It was on a morning towards the end of June that she awoke with the delightful sensation that her birthday had come at last.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading Godmother had taught her the names of all sorts of flowers during her last summer holidays, so that she recognised almost all in the box, but a certain little white, blue and red pyramid was quite a stranger to her; she therefore christened it “N. or M.,” like the person in the Catechism, and N. or M. it remained to her ever afterwards, though later she knew it to be a kind of wild orchid.

plural of “sort” — a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality

From this reading Godmother had taught her the names of all sorts of flowers during her last summer holidays, so that she recognised almost all in the box, but a certain little white, blue and red pyramid was quite a stranger to her; she therefore christened it “N. or M.,” like the person in the Catechism, and N. or M. it remained to her ever afterwards, though later she knew it to be a kind of wild orchid.

depleted of energy, force, or strength

From this reading As the weather brightened and warmed into midsummer, most of Philomène’s free time was spent in the garden, and consequently with Sweet William.

anyone who does not belong in the environment in which they are found

From this reading Godmother had taught her the names of all sorts of flowers during her last summer holidays, so that she recognised almost all in the box, but a certain little white, blue and red pyramid was quite a stranger to her; she therefore christened it “N. or M.,” like the person in the Catechism, and N. or M. it remained to her ever afterwards, though later she knew it to be a kind of wild orchid.

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

From this reading Godmother had taught her the names of all sorts of flowers during her last summer holidays, so that she recognised almost all in the box, but a certain little white, blue and red pyramid was quite a stranger to her; she therefore christened it “N. or M.,” like the person in the Catechism, and N. or M. it remained to her ever afterwards, though later she knew it to be a kind of wild orchid.

having or denoting the characteristic taste of sugar

From this reading As the weather brightened and warmed into midsummer, most of Philomène’s free time was spent in the garden, and consequently with Sweet William.

inflected form of “teach” — impart skills or knowledge to

From this reading Godmother had taught her the names of all sorts of flowers during her last summer holidays, so that she recognised almost all in the box, but a certain little white, blue and red pyramid was quite a stranger to her; she therefore christened it “N. or M.,” like the person in the Catechism, and N. or M. it remained to her ever afterwards, though later she knew it to be a kind of wild orchid.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading It was on a morning towards the end of June that she awoke with the delightful sensation that her birthday had come at last.

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

From this reading As the weather brightened and warmed into midsummer, most of Philomène’s free time was spent in the garden, and consequently with Sweet William.

for that reason; as a result

From this reading Godmother had taught her the names of all sorts of flowers during her last summer holidays, so that she recognised almost all in the box, but a certain little white, blue and red pyramid was quite a stranger to her; she therefore christened it “N. or M.,” like the person in the Catechism, and N. or M. it remained to her ever afterwards, though later she knew it to be a kind of wild orchid.

in spite of the fact that

From this reading Godmother had taught her the names of all sorts of flowers during her last summer holidays, so that she recognised almost all in the box, but a certain little white, blue and red pyramid was quite a stranger to her; she therefore christened it “N. or M.,” like the person in the Catechism, and N. or M. it remained to her ever afterwards, though later she knew it to be a kind of wild orchid.

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading As the weather brightened and warmed into midsummer, most of Philomène’s free time was spent in the garden, and consequently with Sweet William.

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

From this reading Godmother had taught her the names of all sorts of flowers during her last summer holidays, so that she recognised almost all in the box, but a certain little white, blue and red pyramid was quite a stranger to her; she therefore christened it “N. or M.,” like the person in the Catechism, and N. or M. it remained to her ever afterwards, though later she knew it to be a kind of wild orchid.

in the direction of

From this reading It was on a morning towards the end of June that she awoke with the delightful sensation that her birthday had come at last.

past form of “wait” — stay in one place and anticipate or expect something

From this reading Had she not waited a whole year for it?

having been warmed up

From this reading As the weather brightened and warmed into midsummer, most of Philomène’s free time was spent in the garden, and consequently with Sweet William.

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

From this reading As the weather brightened and warmed into midsummer, most of Philomène’s free time was spent in the garden, and consequently with Sweet William.

the atmospheric conditions that comprise the state of the atmosphere in terms of temperature and wind and clouds and precipitation

From this reading As the weather brightened and warmed into midsummer, most of Philomène’s free time was spent in the garden, and consequently with Sweet William.

a Caucasian

From this reading Godmother had taught her the names of all sorts of flowers during her last summer holidays, so that she recognised almost all in the box, but a certain little white, blue and red pyramid was quite a stranger to her; she therefore christened it “N. or M.,” like the person in the Catechism, and N. or M. it remained to her ever afterwards, though later she knew it to be a kind of wild orchid.

including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete

From this reading Had she not waited a whole year for it?

a married woman; a man's partner in marriage

From this reading By her plate at breakfast time lay a big box of wild flowers, sent by the gardener’s wife at the Cushats.

marked by extreme lack of restraint or control

From this reading By her plate at breakfast time lay a big box of wild flowers, sent by the gardener’s wife at the Cushats.

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

From this reading As the weather brightened and warmed into midsummer, most of Philomène’s free time was spent in the garden, and consequently with Sweet William.

in the company of; together with

From this reading As the weather brightened and warmed into midsummer, most of Philomène’s free time was spent in the garden, and consequently with Sweet William.

a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days

From this reading Had she not waited a whole year for it?