used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A DANGEROUS PROMISE.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading There was a consistency about the merchant's establishment which was characteristic of the man.
the state of being absent
From this reading During Ezra Girdlestone's absence in Africa our heroine's life had been even less eventful than of old.
AfricanounUS /ˈæfrəkɑː/
the second largest continent; located to the south of Europe and bordered to the west by the South Atlantic and to the east by the Indian Ocean
From this reading During Ezra Girdlestone's absence in Africa our heroine's life had been even less eventful than of old.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading The house itself was austere and gloomy, and every separate room, in spite of profuse expenditure and gorgeous furniture, had the same air of discomfort.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The house itself was austere and gloomy, and every separate room, in spite of profuse expenditure and gorgeous furniture, had the same air of discomfort.
austereadjectiveUS /ɔːˈstɪr/
severely simple
From this reading The house itself was austere and gloomy, and every separate room, in spite of profuse expenditure and gorgeous furniture, had the same air of discomfort.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading During Ezra Girdlestone's absence in Africa our heroine's life had been even less eventful than of old.
Calvinisticadjective
of or relating to or characteristic of Calvinism or its adherents
From this reading The servants too, were, with one single exception, from the hard-visaged housekeeper to the Calvinistic footman, a depressing and melancholy race.
characteristicnounUS /ˌkerəktərˈɪstɪk/
a prominent attribute or aspect of something
From this reading There was a consistency about the merchant's establishment which was characteristic of the man.
consistencynounUS /kənˈsɪstənsi/
the property of holding together and retaining its shape
From this reading There was a consistency about the merchant's establishment which was characteristic of the man.
involving or causing danger or risk; liable to hurt or harm
From this reading A DANGEROUS PROMISE.
depressingadjectiveUS /dɪˈpresɪŋ/
causing sad feelings of gloom and inadequacy
From this reading The servants too, were, with one single exception, from the hard-visaged housekeeper to the Calvinistic footman, a depressing and melancholy race.
discomfortnounUS /dɪˈskʌmfərt/
the state of being tense and feeling pain
From this reading The house itself was austere and gloomy, and every separate room, in spite of profuse expenditure and gorgeous furniture, had the same air of discomfort.
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading During Ezra Girdlestone's absence in Africa our heroine's life had been even less eventful than of old.
establishmentnounUS /ɪˈstæblɪʃmənt/
the act of forming or establishing something
From this reading There was a consistency about the merchant's establishment which was characteristic of the man.
divisible by two
From this reading During Ezra Girdlestone's absence in Africa our heroine's life had been even less eventful than of old.
eventfuladjectiveUS /ɪˈventfəl/
full of events or incidents
From this reading During Ezra Girdlestone's absence in Africa our heroine's life had been even less eventful than of old.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading The house itself was austere and gloomy, and every separate room, in spite of profuse expenditure and gorgeous furniture, had the same air of discomfort.
exceptionnounUS /ɪkˈsepʃən/
a deliberate act of omission
From this reading The servants too, were, with one single exception, from the hard-visaged housekeeper to the Calvinistic footman, a depressing and melancholy race.
expenditurenounUS /ɪkˈspendətʃər/
money paid out; an amount spent
From this reading The house itself was austere and gloomy, and every separate room, in spite of profuse expenditure and gorgeous furniture, had the same air of discomfort.
EzranounUS /ˈezrə/
a Jewish priest and scribe sent by the Persian king to restore Jewish law and worship in Jerusalem
From this reading During Ezra Girdlestone's absence in Africa our heroine's life had been even less eventful than of old.
footmannounUS /ˈfʊtmən/
a man employed as a servant in a large establishment (as a palace) to run errands and do chores
From this reading The servants too, were, with one single exception, from the hard-visaged housekeeper to the Calvinistic footman, a depressing and melancholy race.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The servants too, were, with one single exception, from the hard-visaged housekeeper to the Calvinistic footman, a depressing and melancholy race.
furnishings that make a room or other area ready for occupancy
From this reading The house itself was austere and gloomy, and every separate room, in spite of profuse expenditure and gorgeous furniture, had the same air of discomfort.
Girdlestone's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading During Ezra Girdlestone's absence in Africa our heroine's life had been even less eventful than of old.
depressingly dark
From this reading The house itself was austere and gloomy, and every separate room, in spite of profuse expenditure and gorgeous furniture, had the same air of discomfort.
gorgeousadjectiveUS /ˈɡɔːrdʒəs/
dazzlingly beautiful
From this reading The house itself was austere and gloomy, and every separate room, in spite of profuse expenditure and gorgeous furniture, had the same air of discomfort.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading During Ezra Girdlestone's absence in Africa our heroine's life had been even less eventful than of old.
hard-visaged
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The servants too, were, with one single exception, from the hard-visaged housekeeper to the Calvinistic footman, a depressing and melancholy race.
heroine's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading During Ezra Girdlestone's absence in Africa our heroine's life had been even less eventful than of old.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading The house itself was austere and gloomy, and every separate room, in spite of profuse expenditure and gorgeous furniture, had the same air of discomfort.
housekeepernounUS /ˈhaʊskiːpər/
a servant who is employed to perform domestic task in a household
From this reading The servants too, were, with one single exception, from the hard-visaged housekeeper to the Calvinistic footman, a depressing and melancholy race.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading During Ezra Girdlestone's absence in Africa our heroine's life had been even less eventful than of old.
used when the thing doing the action is also its object
From this reading The house itself was austere and gloomy, and every separate room, in spite of profuse expenditure and gorgeous furniture, had the same air of discomfort.
used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs
From this reading During Ezra Girdlestone's absence in Africa our heroine's life had been even less eventful than of old.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading During Ezra Girdlestone's absence in Africa our heroine's life had been even less eventful than of old.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading There was a consistency about the merchant's establishment which was characteristic of the man.
a feeling of thoughtful sadness
From this reading The servants too, were, with one single exception, from the hard-visaged housekeeper to the Calvinistic footman, a depressing and melancholy race.
merchant'snounUS /ˈmɜːrtʃənts/
possessive form of “merchant” — a businessperson engaged in retail trade
From this reading There was a consistency about the merchant's establishment which was characteristic of the man.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading During Ezra Girdlestone's absence in Africa our heroine's life had been even less eventful than of old.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading During Ezra Girdlestone's absence in Africa our heroine's life had been even less eventful than of old.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading The servants too, were, with one single exception, from the hard-visaged housekeeper to the Calvinistic footman, a depressing and melancholy race.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading During Ezra Girdlestone's absence in Africa our heroine's life had been even less eventful than of old.
profuseadjectiveUS /prəˈfjuːs/
produced or growing in extreme abundance
From this reading The house itself was austere and gloomy, and every separate room, in spite of profuse expenditure and gorgeous furniture, had the same air of discomfort.
make a promise or commitment
From this reading A DANGEROUS PROMISE.
any competition
From this reading The servants too, were, with one single exception, from the hard-visaged housekeeper to the Calvinistic footman, a depressing and melancholy race.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading The house itself was austere and gloomy, and every separate room, in spite of profuse expenditure and gorgeous furniture, had the same air of discomfort.
Identical; not different.
From this reading The house itself was austere and gloomy, and every separate room, in spite of profuse expenditure and gorgeous furniture, had the same air of discomfort.
act as a barrier between; stand between
From this reading The house itself was austere and gloomy, and every separate room, in spite of profuse expenditure and gorgeous furniture, had the same air of discomfort.
plural of “servant” — a person working in the service of another (especially in the household)
From this reading The servants too, were, with one single exception, from the hard-visaged housekeeper to the Calvinistic footman, a depressing and melancholy race.
being or characteristic of a single thing or person
From this reading The servants too, were, with one single exception, from the hard-visaged housekeeper to the Calvinistic footman, a depressing and melancholy race.
feeling a need to see others suffer
From this reading The house itself was austere and gloomy, and every separate room, in spite of profuse expenditure and gorgeous furniture, had the same air of discomfort.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading During Ezra Girdlestone's absence in Africa our heroine's life had been even less eventful than of old.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading There was a consistency about the merchant's establishment which was characteristic of the man.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was a consistency about the merchant's establishment which was characteristic of the man.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The servants too, were, with one single exception, from the hard-visaged housekeeper to the Calvinistic footman, a depressing and melancholy race.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading The servants too, were, with one single exception, from the hard-visaged housekeeper to the Calvinistic footman, a depressing and melancholy race.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There was a consistency about the merchant's establishment which was characteristic of the man.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The servants too, were, with one single exception, from the hard-visaged housekeeper to the Calvinistic footman, a depressing and melancholy race.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading There was a consistency about the merchant's establishment which was characteristic of the man.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The servants too, were, with one single exception, from the hard-visaged housekeeper to the Calvinistic footman, a depressing and melancholy race.
