used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The girls had not made a fire in any other room in the house.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading And with the fresh maple branches and arbutus decorating the space over the mantel, and the great dish of violets on the table, and the odorous plum branches everywhere, that dining-room was certainly an attractive apartment.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading ANOTHER BOARDER Lyddy heard her sister and Harris Colesworth in the hall, and then in the dining-room.
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading ANOTHER BOARDER Lyddy heard her sister and Harris Colesworth in the hall, and then in the dining-room.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading The girls had not made a fire in any other room in the house.
a suite of rooms usually on one floor of an apartment house
From this reading And with the fresh maple branches and arbutus decorating the space over the mantel, and the great dish of violets on the table, and the odorous plum branches everywhere, that dining-room was certainly an attractive apartment.
arbutusnoun
any of several evergreen shrubs of the genus Arbutus of temperate Europe and America
From this reading And with the fresh maple branches and arbutus decorating the space over the mantel, and the great dish of violets on the table, and the odorous plum branches everywhere, that dining-room was certainly an attractive apartment.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading It took too much wood, and the dining-room was large enough to be used as a sitting-room "for company," too.
attractiveadjectiveUS /əˈtræktɪv/
pleasing to the eye or mind especially through beauty or charm
From this reading And with the fresh maple branches and arbutus decorating the space over the mantel, and the great dish of violets on the table, and the odorous plum branches everywhere, that dining-room was certainly an attractive apartment.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading It took too much wood, and the dining-room was large enough to be used as a sitting-room "for company," too.
blue-and-white
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The old-fashioned blue-and-white china and the few pieces of heavy silverware "dressed" the table very nicely.
BOARDERnounUS /ˈbɔːrdər/
a tenant in someone's house
From this reading ANOTHER BOARDER Lyddy heard her sister and Harris Colesworth in the hall, and then in the dining-room.
plural of “branch” — a division of some larger or more complex organization
From this reading And with the fresh maple branches and arbutus decorating the space over the mantel, and the great dish of violets on the table, and the odorous plum branches everywhere, that dining-room was certainly an attractive apartment.
definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)
From this reading And with the fresh maple branches and arbutus decorating the space over the mantel, and the great dish of violets on the table, and the odorous plum branches everywhere, that dining-room was certainly an attractive apartment.
chinanounUS /ˈtʃaɪnə/
a communist nation that covers a vast territory in eastern Asia; the most populous country in the world
From this reading The old-fashioned blue-and-white china and the few pieces of heavy silverware "dressed" the table very nicely.
Colesworth
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ANOTHER BOARDER Lyddy heard her sister and Harris Colesworth in the hall, and then in the dining-room.
an institution created to conduct business
From this reading It took too much wood, and the dining-room was large enough to be used as a sitting-room "for company," too.
decoratingverbUS /ˈdekəreɪtɪŋ/
-ing form of “decorate” — make more attractive by adding ornament, colour, etc.
From this reading And with the fresh maple branches and arbutus decorating the space over the mantel, and the great dish of violets on the table, and the odorous plum branches everywhere, that dining-room was certainly an attractive apartment.
dining-roomnoun
a room used for dining
From this reading ANOTHER BOARDER Lyddy heard her sister and Harris Colesworth in the hall, and then in the dining-room.
dishnounUS /dɪʃ/
a piece of dishware normally used as a container for holding or serving food
From this reading And with the fresh maple branches and arbutus decorating the space over the mantel, and the great dish of violets on the table, and the odorous plum branches everywhere, that dining-room was certainly an attractive apartment.
dressed or clothed especially in fine attire; often used in combination
From this reading The old-fashioned blue-and-white china and the few pieces of heavy silverware "dressed" the table very nicely.
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading It took too much wood, and the dining-room was large enough to be used as a sitting-room "for company," too.
to or in any or all places
From this reading And with the fresh maple branches and arbutus decorating the space over the mantel, and the great dish of violets on the table, and the odorous plum branches everywhere, that dining-room was certainly an attractive apartment.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading The old-fashioned blue-and-white china and the few pieces of heavy silverware "dressed" the table very nicely.
start firing a weapon
From this reading The girls had not made a fire in any other room in the house.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading It took too much wood, and the dining-room was large enough to be used as a sitting-room "for company," too.
recently made, produced, or harvested
From this reading And with the fresh maple branches and arbutus decorating the space over the mantel, and the great dish of violets on the table, and the odorous plum branches everywhere, that dining-room was certainly an attractive apartment.
plural of “girl” — a young female
From this reading The girls had not made a fire in any other room in the house.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading And with the fresh maple branches and arbutus decorating the space over the mantel, and the great dish of violets on the table, and the odorous plum branches everywhere, that dining-room was certainly an attractive apartment.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The girls had not made a fire in any other room in the house.
an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open
From this reading ANOTHER BOARDER Lyddy heard her sister and Harris Colesworth in the hall, and then in the dining-room.
HarrisnounUS /ˈherɪs/
United States author who wrote the stories about Uncle Remus (1848-1908)
From this reading ANOTHER BOARDER Lyddy heard her sister and Harris Colesworth in the hall, and then in the dining-room.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading ANOTHER BOARDER Lyddy heard her sister and Harris Colesworth in the hall, and then in the dining-room.
of comparatively great physical weight or density
From this reading The old-fashioned blue-and-white china and the few pieces of heavy silverware "dressed" the table very nicely.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading ANOTHER BOARDER Lyddy heard her sister and Harris Colesworth in the hall, and then in the dining-room.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading The girls had not made a fire in any other room in the house.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading ANOTHER BOARDER Lyddy heard her sister and Harris Colesworth in the hall, and then in the dining-room.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It took too much wood, and the dining-room was large enough to be used as a sitting-room "for company," too.
largeadjectiveUS /lɑːrdʒ/
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading It took too much wood, and the dining-room was large enough to be used as a sitting-room "for company," too.
Lyddy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ANOTHER BOARDER Lyddy heard her sister and Harris Colesworth in the hall, and then in the dining-room.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading The girls had not made a fire in any other room in the house.
mantelnounUS /ˈmæntəl/
shelf that projects from wall above fireplace
From this reading And with the fresh maple branches and arbutus decorating the space over the mantel, and the great dish of violets on the table, and the odorous plum branches everywhere, that dining-room was certainly an attractive apartment.
maplenounUS /ˈmeɪpəl/
wood of any of various maple trees; especially the hard close-grained wood of the sugar maple; used especially for furniture and flooring
From this reading And with the fresh maple branches and arbutus decorating the space over the mantel, and the great dish of violets on the table, and the odorous plum branches everywhere, that dining-room was certainly an attractive apartment.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading It took too much wood, and the dining-room was large enough to be used as a sitting-room "for company," too.
nicelyadverbUS /ˈnaɪsli/
in a nice way
From this reading The old-fashioned blue-and-white china and the few pieces of heavy silverware "dressed" the table very nicely.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The girls had not made a fire in any other room in the house.
odorousadjectiveUS /ˈoʊdərəs/
having odor or a characteristic odor
From this reading And with the fresh maple branches and arbutus decorating the space over the mantel, and the great dish of violets on the table, and the odorous plum branches everywhere, that dining-room was certainly an attractive apartment.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading And with the fresh maple branches and arbutus decorating the space over the mantel, and the great dish of violets on the table, and the odorous plum branches everywhere, that dining-room was certainly an attractive apartment.
old-fashionedadjectiveUS /ˌoʊldˈfæʃənd/
out of fashion
From this reading The old-fashioned blue-and-white china and the few pieces of heavy silverware "dressed" the table very nicely.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading And with the fresh maple branches and arbutus decorating the space over the mantel, and the great dish of violets on the table, and the odorous plum branches everywhere, that dining-room was certainly an attractive apartment.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading The girls had not made a fire in any other room in the house.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading And with the fresh maple branches and arbutus decorating the space over the mantel, and the great dish of violets on the table, and the odorous plum branches everywhere, that dining-room was certainly an attractive apartment.
plural of “piece” — a separate part of a whole
From this reading The old-fashioned blue-and-white china and the few pieces of heavy silverware "dressed" the table very nicely.
plumadverbUS /plʌm/
exactly
From this reading And with the fresh maple branches and arbutus decorating the space over the mantel, and the great dish of violets on the table, and the odorous plum branches everywhere, that dining-room was certainly an attractive apartment.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading The girls had not made a fire in any other room in the house.
silverwarenounUS /ˈsɪlvərwer/
tableware made of silver or silver plate or pewter or stainless steel
From this reading The old-fashioned blue-and-white china and the few pieces of heavy silverware "dressed" the table very nicely.
a female person who has the same parents as another person
From this reading ANOTHER BOARDER Lyddy heard her sister and Harris Colesworth in the hall, and then in the dining-room.
sitting-room
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It took too much wood, and the dining-room was large enough to be used as a sitting-room "for company," too.
the unlimited expanse in which everything is located
From this reading And with the fresh maple branches and arbutus decorating the space over the mantel, and the great dish of violets on the table, and the odorous plum branches everywhere, that dining-room was certainly an attractive apartment.
a set of data arranged in rows and columns
From this reading And with the fresh maple branches and arbutus decorating the space over the mantel, and the great dish of violets on the table, and the odorous plum branches everywhere, that dining-room was certainly an attractive apartment.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading And with the fresh maple branches and arbutus decorating the space over the mantel, and the great dish of violets on the table, and the odorous plum branches everywhere, that dining-room was certainly an attractive apartment.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading ANOTHER BOARDER Lyddy heard her sister and Harris Colesworth in the hall, and then in the dining-room.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading ANOTHER BOARDER Lyddy heard her sister and Harris Colesworth in the hall, and then in the dining-room.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It took too much wood, and the dining-room was large enough to be used as a sitting-room "for company," too.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading It took too much wood, and the dining-room was large enough to be used as a sitting-room "for company," too.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading It took too much wood, and the dining-room was large enough to be used as a sitting-room "for company," too.
employed in accomplishing something
From this reading It took too much wood, and the dining-room was large enough to be used as a sitting-room "for company," too.
precisely as stated
From this reading The old-fashioned blue-and-white china and the few pieces of heavy silverware "dressed" the table very nicely.
violetsnounUS /ˈvaɪələts/
plural of “violet” — any of numerous low-growing violas with small flowers
From this reading And with the fresh maple branches and arbutus decorating the space over the mantel, and the great dish of violets on the table, and the odorous plum branches everywhere, that dining-room was certainly an attractive apartment.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It took too much wood, and the dining-room was large enough to be used as a sitting-room "for company," too.
in the company of; together with
From this reading And with the fresh maple branches and arbutus decorating the space over the mantel, and the great dish of violets on the table, and the odorous plum branches everywhere, that dining-room was certainly an attractive apartment.
the hard fibrous lignified substance under the bark of trees
From this reading It took too much wood, and the dining-room was large enough to be used as a sitting-room "for company," too.
