used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading JOHN AUDLEY An hour later Basset was seated on one side of a wide hearth, on the other John Audley faced him.
adornedadjectiveUS /əˈdɔːrnd/
provided with something intended to increase its beauty or distinction
From this reading The ceiling was of black oak, adorned at the crossings of the joists and beams with emblems, butterflies, and Stafford knots and the like, once bright with color, and still soberly rich.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading JOHN AUDLEY An hour later Basset was seated on one side of a wide hearth, on the other John Audley faced him.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It was a room of silence and large spaces, and except where four windows, tall and narrow, broke one wall, it was lined high with the companions of silence—books.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The ceiling was of black oak, adorned at the crossings of the joists and beams with emblems, butterflies, and Stafford knots and the like, once bright with color, and still soberly rich.
AUDLEY
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading JOHN AUDLEY An hour later Basset was seated on one side of a wide hearth, on the other John Audley faced him.
BassetnounUS /ˈbæsɪt/
smooth-haired breed of hound with short legs and long ears
From this reading JOHN AUDLEY An hour later Basset was seated on one side of a wide hearth, on the other John Audley faced him.
beamsnounUS /biːmz/
plural of “beam” — a signal transmitted along a narrow path; guides airplane pilots in darkness or bad weather
From this reading The ceiling was of black oak, adorned at the crossings of the joists and beams with emblems, butterflies, and Stafford knots and the like, once bright with color, and still soberly rich.
the supreme effort one can make
From this reading The library in which they sat was the room which Basset loved best in the world.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading The ceiling was of black oak, adorned at the crossings of the joists and beams with emblems, butterflies, and Stafford knots and the like, once bright with color, and still soberly rich.
Bound written or printed works.
From this reading It was a room of silence and large spaces, and except where four windows, tall and narrow, broke one wall, it was lined high with the companions of silence—books.
emitting or reflecting light readily or in large amounts
From this reading The ceiling was of black oak, adorned at the crossings of the joists and beams with emblems, butterflies, and Stafford knots and the like, once bright with color, and still soberly rich.
lacking funds
From this reading It was a room of silence and large spaces, and except where four windows, tall and narrow, broke one wall, it was lined high with the companions of silence—books.
butterfliesnounUS /ˈbʌtərflaɪz/
plural of “butterfly” — diurnal insect typically having a slender body with knobbed antennae and broad colorful wings
From this reading The ceiling was of black oak, adorned at the crossings of the joists and beams with emblems, butterflies, and Stafford knots and the like, once bright with color, and still soberly rich.
ceilingnounUS /ˈsiːlɪŋ/
the overhead upper surface of a covered space
From this reading The ceiling was of black oak, adorned at the crossings of the joists and beams with emblems, butterflies, and Stafford knots and the like, once bright with color, and still soberly rich.
a visual attribute of things that results from the light they emit or transmit or reflect
From this reading The ceiling was of black oak, adorned at the crossings of the joists and beams with emblems, butterflies, and Stafford knots and the like, once bright with color, and still soberly rich.
plural of “companion” — a friend who is frequently in the company of another
From this reading It was a room of silence and large spaces, and except where four windows, tall and narrow, broke one wall, it was lined high with the companions of silence—books.
crossingsnounUS /ˈkrɔːsɪŋz/
plural of “crossing” — traveling across
From this reading The ceiling was of black oak, adorned at the crossings of the joists and beams with emblems, butterflies, and Stafford knots and the like, once bright with color, and still soberly rich.
emblemsnounUS /ˈembləmz/
plural of “emblem” — special design or visual object representing a quality, type, group, etc.
From this reading The ceiling was of black oak, adorned at the crossings of the joists and beams with emblems, butterflies, and Stafford knots and the like, once bright with color, and still soberly rich.
apart from; not including
From this reading It was a room of silence and large spaces, and except where four windows, tall and narrow, broke one wall, it was lined high with the companions of silence—books.
having a face or facing especially of a specified kind or number; often used in combination
From this reading JOHN AUDLEY An hour later Basset was seated on one side of a wide hearth, on the other John Audley faced him.
the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one
From this reading It was a room of silence and large spaces, and except where four windows, tall and narrow, broke one wall, it was lined high with the companions of silence—books.
hearthnounUS /hɑːrθ/
an open recess in a wall at the base of a chimney where a fire can be built
From this reading JOHN AUDLEY An hour later Basset was seated on one side of a wide hearth, on the other John Audley faced him.
greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading It was a room of silence and large spaces, and except where four windows, tall and narrow, broke one wall, it was lined high with the companions of silence—books.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading JOHN AUDLEY An hour later Basset was seated on one side of a wide hearth, on the other John Audley faced him.
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading JOHN AUDLEY An hour later Basset was seated on one side of a wide hearth, on the other John Audley faced him.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The library in which they sat was the room which Basset loved best in the world.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was a room of silence and large spaces, and except where four windows, tall and narrow, broke one wall, it was lined high with the companions of silence—books.
a room or building equipped with one or more toilets
From this reading JOHN AUDLEY An hour later Basset was seated on one side of a wide hearth, on the other John Audley faced him.
joistsnounUS /dʒɔɪsts/
plural of “joist” — beam used to support floors or roofs
From this reading The ceiling was of black oak, adorned at the crossings of the joists and beams with emblems, butterflies, and Stafford knots and the like, once bright with color, and still soberly rich.
knotsnounUS /nɑːts/
plural of “knot” — a tight cluster of people or things
From this reading The ceiling was of black oak, adorned at the crossings of the joists and beams with emblems, butterflies, and Stafford knots and the like, once bright with color, and still soberly rich.
largeadjectiveUS /lɑːrdʒ/
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading It was a room of silence and large spaces, and except where four windows, tall and narrow, broke one wall, it was lined high with the companions of silence—books.
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading JOHN AUDLEY An hour later Basset was seated on one side of a wide hearth, on the other John Audley faced him.
a room where books are kept
From this reading The library in which they sat was the room which Basset loved best in the world.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading The ceiling was of black oak, adorned at the crossings of the joists and beams with emblems, butterflies, and Stafford knots and the like, once bright with color, and still soberly rich.
linedadjectiveUS /laɪnd/
bordered by a line of things
From this reading It was a room of silence and large spaces, and except where four windows, tall and narrow, broke one wall, it was lined high with the companions of silence—books.
held dear
From this reading The library in which they sat was the room which Basset loved best in the world.
a form of address for a man
From this reading MR.
make or become more narrow or restricted
From this reading It was a room of silence and large spaces, and except where four windows, tall and narrow, broke one wall, it was lined high with the companions of silence—books.
the hard durable wood of any oak; used especially for furniture and flooring
From this reading The ceiling was of black oak, adorned at the crossings of the joists and beams with emblems, butterflies, and Stafford knots and the like, once bright with color, and still soberly rich.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading JOHN AUDLEY An hour later Basset was seated on one side of a wide hearth, on the other John Audley faced him.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading JOHN AUDLEY An hour later Basset was seated on one side of a wide hearth, on the other John Audley faced him.
on one occasion
From this reading The ceiling was of black oak, adorned at the crossings of the joists and beams with emblems, butterflies, and Stafford knots and the like, once bright with color, and still soberly rich.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading JOHN AUDLEY An hour later Basset was seated on one side of a wide hearth, on the other John Audley faced him.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading JOHN AUDLEY An hour later Basset was seated on one side of a wide hearth, on the other John Audley faced him.
possessing material wealth
From this reading The ceiling was of black oak, adorned at the crossings of the joists and beams with emblems, butterflies, and Stafford knots and the like, once bright with color, and still soberly rich.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading The library in which they sat was the room which Basset loved best in the world.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading The library in which they sat was the room which Basset loved best in the world.
(of persons) having the torso erect and legs bent with the body supported on the buttocks
From this reading JOHN AUDLEY An hour later Basset was seated on one side of a wide hearth, on the other John Audley faced him.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading JOHN AUDLEY An hour later Basset was seated on one side of a wide hearth, on the other John Audley faced him.
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading It was a room of silence and large spaces, and except where four windows, tall and narrow, broke one wall, it was lined high with the companions of silence—books.
soberlyadverbUS /ˈsoʊbərli/
in a grave and sober manner
From this reading The ceiling was of black oak, adorned at the crossings of the joists and beams with emblems, butterflies, and Stafford knots and the like, once bright with color, and still soberly rich.
spacesnounUS /ˈspeɪsəz/
plural of “space” — the unlimited expanse in which everything is located
From this reading It was a room of silence and large spaces, and except where four windows, tall and narrow, broke one wall, it was lined high with the companions of silence—books.
Stafford
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The ceiling was of black oak, adorned at the crossings of the joists and beams with emblems, butterflies, and Stafford knots and the like, once bright with color, and still soberly rich.
not in physical motion
From this reading The ceiling was of black oak, adorned at the crossings of the joists and beams with emblems, butterflies, and Stafford knots and the like, once bright with color, and still soberly rich.
great in vertical dimension; high in stature
From this reading It was a room of silence and large spaces, and except where four windows, tall and narrow, broke one wall, it was lined high with the companions of silence—books.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading JOHN AUDLEY An hour later Basset was seated on one side of a wide hearth, on the other John Audley faced him.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The library in which they sat was the room which Basset loved best in the world.
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 It was a room of silence and large spaces, and except where four windows, tall and narrow, broke one wall, it was lined high with the companions of silence—books.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading JOHN AUDLEY An hour later Basset was seated on one side of a wide hearth, on the other John Audley faced him.
in or at the place that
From this reading It was a room of silence and large spaces, and except where four windows, tall and narrow, broke one wall, it was lined high with the companions of silence—books.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The library in which they sat was the room which Basset loved best in the world.
having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other
From this reading JOHN AUDLEY An hour later Basset was seated on one side of a wide hearth, on the other John Audley faced him.
(trademark) an operating system with a graphical user interface
From this reading It was a room of silence and large spaces, and except where four windows, tall and narrow, broke one wall, it was lined high with the companions of silence—books.
in the company of; together with
From this reading It was a room of silence and large spaces, and except where four windows, tall and narrow, broke one wall, it was lined high with the companions of silence—books.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading The library in which they sat was the room which Basset loved best in the world.
