used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Since her discovery of the little shoe--the fellow of her own--in her employer's safe, and the startling conclusion at which she had thereupon arrived, the young secretary had been in a vaguely expectant state of mind.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Mrs. Burton, closeted with her adopted daughter, in the dining-room, found, to her surprise, that Miss Owen was not unprepared for the communication she was about to receive.
adoptedadjectiveUS /əˈdɑːptɪd/
acquired as your own by free choice
From this reading Mrs. Burton, closeted with her adopted daughter, in the dining-room, found, to her surprise, that Miss Owen was not unprepared for the communication she was about to receive.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading FATHER AND DAUGHTER.
past form of “arrive” — reach a destination; arrive by movement or progress
From this reading Since her discovery of the little shoe--the fellow of her own--in her employer's safe, and the startling conclusion at which she had thereupon arrived, the young secretary had been in a vaguely expectant state of mind.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Since her discovery of the little shoe--the fellow of her own--in her employer's safe, and the startling conclusion at which she had thereupon arrived, the young secretary had been in a vaguely expectant state of mind.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Since her discovery of the little shoe--the fellow of her own--in her employer's safe, and the startling conclusion at which she had thereupon arrived, the young secretary had been in a vaguely expectant state of mind.
BurtonnounUS /ˈbɜːrtən/
English explorer who with John Speke was the first European to explore Lake Tanganyika (1821-1890)
From this reading Mrs. Burton, closeted with her adopted daughter, in the dining-room, found, to her surprise, that Miss Owen was not unprepared for the communication she was about to receive.
closetedverbUS /ˈklɑːzətɪd/
past form of “closet” — confine to a small space, as for intensive work
From this reading Mrs. Burton, closeted with her adopted daughter, in the dining-room, found, to her surprise, that Miss Owen was not unprepared for the communication she was about to receive.
communicationnounUS /kəˌmjuːnəˈkeɪʃən/
the activity of communicating; the activity of conveying information
From this reading Mrs. Burton, closeted with her adopted daughter, in the dining-room, found, to her surprise, that Miss Owen was not unprepared for the communication she was about to receive.
not accessible to view
From this reading The great fact she had discovered could not long remain concealed from the person whom, next to herself, it most concerned.
feeling or showing worry or solicitude
From this reading The great fact she had discovered could not long remain concealed from the person whom, next to herself, it most concerned.
a position or opinion or judgment reached after consideration
From this reading Since her discovery of the little shoe--the fellow of her own--in her employer's safe, and the startling conclusion at which she had thereupon arrived, the young secretary had been in a vaguely expectant state of mind.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading The great fact she had discovered could not long remain concealed from the person whom, next to herself, it most concerned.
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading Of course, it was impossible for her to speak out.
a female human offspring
From this reading FATHER AND DAUGHTER.
dining-roomnoun
a room used for dining
From this reading Mrs. Burton, closeted with her adopted daughter, in the dining-room, found, to her surprise, that Miss Owen was not unprepared for the communication she was about to receive.
discovered or determined by scientific observation
From this reading The great fact she had discovered could not long remain concealed from the person whom, next to herself, it most concerned.
the act of discovering something
From this reading Since her discovery of the little shoe--the fellow of her own--in her employer's safe, and the startling conclusion at which she had thereupon arrived, the young secretary had been in a vaguely expectant state of mind.
employer'snounUS /emˈplɔɪərz/
possessive form of “employer” — a person or firm that employs workers
From this reading Since her discovery of the little shoe--the fellow of her own--in her employer's safe, and the startling conclusion at which she had thereupon arrived, the young secretary had been in a vaguely expectant state of mind.
expectantadjectiveUS /ɪkˈspektənt/
marked by eager anticipation
From this reading Since her discovery of the little shoe--the fellow of her own--in her employer's safe, and the startling conclusion at which she had thereupon arrived, the young secretary had been in a vaguely expectant state of mind.
a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred
From this reading The great fact she had discovered could not long remain concealed from the person whom, next to herself, it most concerned.
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading FATHER AND DAUGHTER.
a boy or man
From this reading Since her discovery of the little shoe--the fellow of her own--in her employer's safe, and the startling conclusion at which she had thereupon arrived, the young secretary had been in a vaguely expectant state of mind.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Mrs. Burton, closeted with her adopted daughter, in the dining-room, found, to her surprise, that Miss Owen was not unprepared for the communication she was about to receive.
set up or found
From this reading Mrs. Burton, closeted with her adopted daughter, in the dining-room, found, to her surprise, that Miss Owen was not unprepared for the communication she was about to receive.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The great fact she had discovered could not long remain concealed from the person whom, next to herself, it most concerned.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading The great fact she had discovered could not long remain concealed from the person whom, next to herself, it most concerned.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Since her discovery of the little shoe--the fellow of her own--in her employer's safe, and the startling conclusion at which she had thereupon arrived, the young secretary had been in a vaguely expectant state of mind.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Mrs. Burton, closeted with her adopted daughter, in the dining-room, found, to her surprise, that Miss Owen was not unprepared for the communication she was about to receive.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading The great fact she had discovered could not long remain concealed from the person whom, next to herself, it most concerned.
not capable of occurring or being accomplished or dealt with
From this reading Of course, it was impossible for her to speak out.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Mrs. Burton, closeted with her adopted daughter, in the dining-room, found, to her surprise, that Miss Owen was not unprepared for the communication she was about to receive.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The great fact she had discovered could not long remain concealed from the person whom, next to herself, it most concerned.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Since her discovery of the little shoe--the fellow of her own--in her employer's safe, and the startling conclusion at which she had thereupon arrived, the young secretary had been in a vaguely expectant state of mind.
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 The great fact she had discovered could not long remain concealed from the person whom, next to herself, it most concerned.
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading Since her discovery of the little shoe--the fellow of her own--in her employer's safe, and the startling conclusion at which she had thereupon arrived, the young secretary had been in a vaguely expectant state of mind.
fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind
From this reading Mrs. Burton, closeted with her adopted daughter, in the dining-room, found, to her surprise, that Miss Owen was not unprepared for the communication she was about to receive.
used to form the superlative
From this reading The great fact she had discovered could not long remain concealed from the person whom, next to herself, it most concerned.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading Mrs. Burton, closeted with her adopted daughter, in the dining-room, found, to her surprise, that Miss Owen was not unprepared for the communication she was about to receive.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading The great fact she had discovered could not long remain concealed from the person whom, next to herself, it most concerned.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Mrs. Burton, closeted with her adopted daughter, in the dining-room, found, to her surprise, that Miss Owen was not unprepared for the communication she was about to receive.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Since her discovery of the little shoe--the fellow of her own--in her employer's safe, and the startling conclusion at which she had thereupon arrived, the young secretary had been in a vaguely expectant state of mind.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Of course, it was impossible for her to speak out.
OwennounUS /ˈoʊən/
Welsh industrialist and social reformer who founded cooperative communities (1771-1858)
From this reading Mrs. Burton, closeted with her adopted daughter, in the dining-room, found, to her surprise, that Miss Owen was not unprepared for the communication she was about to receive.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading Since her discovery of the little shoe--the fellow of her own--in her employer's safe, and the startling conclusion at which she had thereupon arrived, the young secretary had been in a vaguely expectant state of mind.
a human being
From this reading The great fact she had discovered could not long remain concealed from the person whom, next to herself, it most concerned.
get something; come into possession of
From this reading Mrs. Burton, closeted with her adopted daughter, in the dining-room, found, to her surprise, that Miss Owen was not unprepared for the communication she was about to receive.
stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading The great fact she had discovered could not long remain concealed from the person whom, next to herself, it most concerned.
free from danger or the risk of harm
From this reading Since her discovery of the little shoe--the fellow of her own--in her employer's safe, and the startling conclusion at which she had thereupon arrived, the young secretary had been in a vaguely expectant state of mind.
a person who is head of an administrative department of government
From this reading Since her discovery of the little shoe--the fellow of her own--in her employer's safe, and the startling conclusion at which she had thereupon arrived, the young secretary had been in a vaguely expectant state of mind.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Mrs. Burton, closeted with her adopted daughter, in the dining-room, found, to her surprise, that Miss Owen was not unprepared for the communication she was about to receive.
shoenounUS /ʃuː/
footwear shaped to fit the foot (below the ankle) with a flexible upper of leather or plastic and a sole and heel of heavier material
From this reading Since her discovery of the little shoe--the fellow of her own--in her employer's safe, and the startling conclusion at which she had thereupon arrived, the young secretary had been in a vaguely expectant state of mind.
SinceprepositionUS /sɪns/
from a time in the past until now
From this reading Since her discovery of the little shoe--the fellow of her own--in her employer's safe, and the startling conclusion at which she had thereupon arrived, the young secretary had been in a vaguely expectant state of mind.
express in speech
From this reading Of course, it was impossible for her to speak out.
startlingadjectiveUS /ˈstɑːrtlɪŋ/
so remarkably different or sudden as to cause momentary shock or alarm
From this reading Since her discovery of the little shoe--the fellow of her own--in her employer's safe, and the startling conclusion at which she had thereupon arrived, the young secretary had been in a vaguely expectant state of mind.
the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation
From this reading Since her discovery of the little shoe--the fellow of her own--in her employer's safe, and the startling conclusion at which she had thereupon arrived, the young secretary had been in a vaguely expectant state of mind.
the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you
From this reading Mrs. Burton, closeted with her adopted daughter, in the dining-room, found, to her surprise, that Miss Owen was not unprepared for the communication she was about to receive.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Mrs. Burton, closeted with her adopted daughter, in the dining-room, found, to her surprise, that Miss Owen was not unprepared for the communication she was about to receive.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Mrs. Burton, closeted with her adopted daughter, in the dining-room, found, to her surprise, that Miss Owen was not unprepared for the communication she was about to receive.
thereupon
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Since her discovery of the little shoe--the fellow of her own--in her employer's safe, and the startling conclusion at which she had thereupon arrived, the young secretary had been in a vaguely expectant state of mind.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Mrs. Burton, closeted with her adopted daughter, in the dining-room, found, to her surprise, that Miss Owen was not unprepared for the communication she was about to receive.
unpreparedadjectiveUS /ˌʌnpriˈperd/
without preparation; not prepared for
From this reading Mrs. Burton, closeted with her adopted daughter, in the dining-room, found, to her surprise, that Miss Owen was not unprepared for the communication she was about to receive.
vaguelyadverbUS /ˈveɪɡli/
in a vague way
From this reading Since her discovery of the little shoe--the fellow of her own--in her employer's safe, and the startling conclusion at which she had thereupon arrived, the young secretary had been in a vaguely expectant state of mind.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Mrs. Burton, closeted with her adopted daughter, in the dining-room, found, to her surprise, that Miss Owen was not unprepared for the communication she was about to receive.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Since her discovery of the little shoe--the fellow of her own--in her employer's safe, and the startling conclusion at which she had thereupon arrived, the young secretary had been in a vaguely expectant state of mind.
the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The great fact she had discovered could not long remain concealed from the person whom, next to herself, it most concerned.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Mrs. Burton, closeted with her adopted daughter, in the dining-room, found, to her surprise, that Miss Owen was not unprepared for the communication she was about to receive.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading Since her discovery of the little shoe--the fellow of her own--in her employer's safe, and the startling conclusion at which she had thereupon arrived, the young secretary had been in a vaguely expectant state of mind.
