used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The walls were of black oak, with white inlaid plaques on which a great artist had traced little fanciful figures,--a quaint Chinese landscape, a temple, a flower-hung pagoda.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Prince Shan stood in the tiny sitting room of his suite upon the _Black Dragon_ and looked around him critically.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading Prince Shan stood in the tiny sitting room of his suite upon the _Black Dragon_ and looked around him critically.
a person whose creative work shows sensitivity and imagination
From this reading The walls were of black oak, with white inlaid plaques on which a great artist had traced little fanciful figures,--a quaint Chinese landscape, a temple, a flower-hung pagoda.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading Prince Shan stood in the tiny sitting room of his suite upon the _Black Dragon_ and looked around him critically.
of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky
From this reading There were hangings of soft, blue silk tapestry, brought from one of his northern palaces.
bowlsnounUS /boʊlz/
a bowling game played on a level lawn with biased wooden balls that are rolled at a jack
From this reading There were several bowls of flowers, a couch, and two comfortable chairs.
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading There were hangings of soft, blue silk tapestry, brought from one of his northern palaces.
plural of “chair” — a seat for one person, with a support for the back
From this reading There were several bowls of flowers, a couch, and two comfortable chairs.
ChinesenounUS /tʃaɪˈniːz/
any of the Sino-Tibetan languages spoken in China; regarded as dialects of a single language (even though they are mutually unintelligible) because they share an ideographic writing system
From this reading The walls were of black oak, with white inlaid plaques on which a great artist had traced little fanciful figures,--a quaint Chinese landscape, a temple, a flower-hung pagoda.
artifact made by weaving or felting or knitting or crocheting natural or synthetic fibers
From this reading The cloth which covered the table was of the finest silk.
providing or experiencing physical well-being or relief (“comfy” is informal)
From this reading There were several bowls of flowers, a couch, and two comfortable chairs.
couchnounUS /kaʊtʃ/
an upholstered seat for more than one person
From this reading There were several bowls of flowers, a couch, and two comfortable chairs.
overlaid or spread or topped with or enclosed within something; sometimes used as a combining form
From this reading The cloth which covered the table was of the finest silk.
criticallyadverbUS /ˈkrɪtɪkəli/
in a critical manner
From this reading Prince Shan stood in the tiny sitting room of his suite upon the _Black Dragon_ and looked around him critically.
DragonnounUS /ˈdræɡən/
a creature of Teutonic mythology; usually represented as breathing fire and having a reptilian body and sometimes wings
From this reading Prince Shan stood in the tiny sitting room of his suite upon the _Black Dragon_ and looked around him critically.
fancifuladjectiveUS /ˈfænsɪfəl/
indulging in or influenced by fancy
From this reading The walls were of black oak, with white inlaid plaques on which a great artist had traced little fanciful figures,--a quaint Chinese landscape, a temple, a flower-hung pagoda.
plural of “figure” — a diagram or picture illustrating textual material
From this reading The walls were of black oak, with white inlaid plaques on which a great artist had traced little fanciful figures,--a quaint Chinese landscape, a temple, a flower-hung pagoda.
finestadjectiveUS /ˈfaɪnəst/
superlative of “fine” — being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition
From this reading The cloth which covered the table was of the finest silk.
flower-hung
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The walls were of black oak, with white inlaid plaques on which a great artist had traced little fanciful figures,--a quaint Chinese landscape, a temple, a flower-hung pagoda.
plural of “flower” — a plant cultivated for its blooms or blossoms
From this reading There were several bowls of flowers, a couch, and two comfortable chairs.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading There were hangings of soft, blue silk tapestry, brought from one of his northern palaces.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading The walls were of black oak, with white inlaid plaques on which a great artist had traced little fanciful figures,--a quaint Chinese landscape, a temple, a flower-hung pagoda.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The walls were of black oak, with white inlaid plaques on which a great artist had traced little fanciful figures,--a quaint Chinese landscape, a temple, a flower-hung pagoda.
hangingsnounUS /ˈhæŋɡɪŋz/
plural of “hanging” — decoration that is hung (as a tapestry) on a wall or over a window
From this reading There were hangings of soft, blue silk tapestry, brought from one of his northern palaces.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Prince Shan stood in the tiny sitting room of his suite upon the _Black Dragon_ and looked around him critically.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Prince Shan stood in the tiny sitting room of his suite upon the _Black Dragon_ and looked around him critically.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Prince Shan stood in the tiny sitting room of his suite upon the _Black Dragon_ and looked around him critically.
inlaidadjectiveUS /ˈɪnleɪd/
adorned by inlays
From this reading The walls were of black oak, with white inlaid plaques on which a great artist had traced little fanciful figures,--a quaint Chinese landscape, a temple, a flower-hung pagoda.
landscapenounUS /ˈlændskeɪp/
an expanse of scenery that can be seen in a single view
From this reading The walls were of black oak, with white inlaid plaques on which a great artist had traced little fanciful figures,--a quaint Chinese landscape, a temple, a flower-hung pagoda.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading The walls were of black oak, with white inlaid plaques on which a great artist had traced little fanciful figures,--a quaint Chinese landscape, a temple, a flower-hung pagoda.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading Prince Shan stood in the tiny sitting room of his suite upon the _Black Dragon_ and looked around him critically.
northernadjectiveUS /ˈnɔːrðərn/
in or characteristic of a region of the United States north of (approximately) the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading There were hangings of soft, blue silk tapestry, brought from one of his northern palaces.
oaknounUS /oʊk/
the hard durable wood of any oak; used especially for furniture and flooring
From this reading The walls were of black oak, with white inlaid plaques on which a great artist had traced little fanciful figures,--a quaint Chinese landscape, a temple, a flower-hung pagoda.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Prince Shan stood in the tiny sitting room of his suite upon the _Black Dragon_ and looked around him critically.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The walls were of black oak, with white inlaid plaques on which a great artist had traced little fanciful figures,--a quaint Chinese landscape, a temple, a flower-hung pagoda.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading There were hangings of soft, blue silk tapestry, brought from one of his northern palaces.
pagodanounUS /pəˈɡoʊdə/
an Asian temple; usually a pyramidal tower with an upward curving roof
From this reading The walls were of black oak, with white inlaid plaques on which a great artist had traced little fanciful figures,--a quaint Chinese landscape, a temple, a flower-hung pagoda.
palacesnounUS /ˈpæləsəz/
plural of “palace” — a large and stately mansion
From this reading There were hangings of soft, blue silk tapestry, brought from one of his northern palaces.
plaquesnounUS /plæks/
plural of “plaque” — (pathology) a small abnormal patch on or inside the body
From this reading The walls were of black oak, with white inlaid plaques on which a great artist had traced little fanciful figures,--a quaint Chinese landscape, a temple, a flower-hung pagoda.
a male member of a royal family other than the sovereign (especially the son of a sovereign)
From this reading Prince Shan stood in the tiny sitting room of his suite upon the _Black Dragon_ and looked around him critically.
quaintadjectiveUS /kweɪnt/
strange in an interesting or pleasing way
From this reading The walls were of black oak, with white inlaid plaques on which a great artist had traced little fanciful figures,--a quaint Chinese landscape, a temple, a flower-hung pagoda.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading Prince Shan stood in the tiny sitting room of his suite upon the _Black Dragon_ and looked around him critically.
(used with count nouns) of an indefinite number more than 2 or 3 but not many
From this reading There were several bowls of flowers, a couch, and two comfortable chairs.
Shanmodal verbUS /ʃæn/
the form of “shall” used in the contraction “shan’t”
From this reading Prince Shan stood in the tiny sitting room of his suite upon the _Black Dragon_ and looked around him critically.
a fabric made from the fine threads produced by certain insect larvae
From this reading There were hangings of soft, blue silk tapestry, brought from one of his northern palaces.
(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)
From this reading Prince Shan stood in the tiny sitting room of his suite upon the _Black Dragon_ and looked around him critically.
yielding readily to pressure or weight
From this reading There were hangings of soft, blue silk tapestry, brought from one of his northern palaces.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading Prince Shan stood in the tiny sitting room of his suite upon the _Black Dragon_ and looked around him critically.
suitenounUS /swiːt/
a musical composition of several movements only loosely connected
From this reading Prince Shan stood in the tiny sitting room of his suite upon the _Black Dragon_ and looked around him critically.
a set of data arranged in rows and columns
From this reading The cloth which covered the table was of the finest silk.
tapestrynounUS /ˈtæpəstri/
something that resembles a tapestry in its intricacy
From this reading There were hangings of soft, blue silk tapestry, brought from one of his northern palaces.
place of worship consisting of an edifice for the worship of a deity
From this reading The walls were of black oak, with white inlaid plaques on which a great artist had traced little fanciful figures,--a quaint Chinese landscape, a temple, a flower-hung pagoda.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Prince Shan stood in the tiny sitting room of his suite upon the _Black Dragon_ and looked around him critically.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There were hangings of soft, blue silk tapestry, brought from one of his northern palaces.
very small
From this reading Prince Shan stood in the tiny sitting room of his suite upon the _Black Dragon_ and looked around him critically.
tracedverbUS /treɪst/
past form of “trace” — follow, discover, or ascertain the course of development of something
From this reading The walls were of black oak, with white inlaid plaques on which a great artist had traced little fanciful figures,--a quaint Chinese landscape, a temple, a flower-hung pagoda.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading There were several bowls of flowers, a couch, and two comfortable chairs.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Prince Shan stood in the tiny sitting room of his suite upon the _Black Dragon_ and looked around him critically.
plural of “wall” — 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 The walls were of black oak, with white inlaid plaques on which a great artist had traced little fanciful figures,--a quaint Chinese landscape, a temple, a flower-hung pagoda.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The cloth which covered the table was of the finest silk.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The walls were of black oak, with white inlaid plaques on which a great artist had traced little fanciful figures,--a quaint Chinese landscape, a temple, a flower-hung pagoda.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The walls were of black oak, with white inlaid plaques on which a great artist had traced little fanciful figures,--a quaint Chinese landscape, a temple, a flower-hung pagoda.
a Caucasian
From this reading The walls were of black oak, with white inlaid plaques on which a great artist had traced little fanciful figures,--a quaint Chinese landscape, a temple, a flower-hung pagoda.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The walls were of black oak, with white inlaid plaques on which a great artist had traced little fanciful figures,--a quaint Chinese landscape, a temple, a flower-hung pagoda.
