aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading Set in the small windows above the shops, the modistes’ assistants seemed to be talking and talking.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading What had happened, what were the alarums and excursions of that grey day yesterday, which had leapt at me from the darkness as I made to return to England after four months of pleasant wandering?
alarums
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading What had happened, what were the alarums and excursions of that grey day yesterday, which had leapt at me from the darkness as I made to return to England after four months of pleasant wandering?
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading What had happened, what were the alarums and excursions of that grey day yesterday, which had leapt at me from the darkness as I made to return to England after four months of pleasant wandering?
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading What had happened, what were the alarums and excursions of that grey day yesterday, which had leapt at me from the darkness as I made to return to England after four months of pleasant wandering?
assistantsnounUS /əˈsɪstənts/
plural of “assistant” — a person who contributes to the fulfillment of a need or furtherance of an effort or purpose
From this reading Set in the small windows above the shops, the modistes’ assistants seemed to be talking and talking.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading What had happened, what were the alarums and excursions of that grey day yesterday, which had leapt at me from the darkness as I made to return to England after four months of pleasant wandering?
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Set in the small windows above the shops, the modistes’ assistants seemed to be talking and talking.
a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep
From this reading I lay in bed, staring through the lace curtains.
burglar-proof
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Men, some in shirt-sleeves, were taking down the heavy, grey, burglar-proof shutters of the shops opposite.
curtainsnounUS /ˈkɜːrtənz/
plural of “curtain” — hanging cloth used as a blind (especially for a window)
From this reading I lay in bed, staring through the lace curtains.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading What had happened, what were the alarums and excursions of that grey day yesterday, which had leapt at me from the darkness as I made to return to England after four months of pleasant wandering?
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading What had happened, what were the alarums and excursions of that grey day yesterday, which had leapt at me from the darkness as I made to return to England after four months of pleasant wandering?
the event of dying or departure from life
From this reading Iris was ill unto death, Napier was enchanted....
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading Men, some in shirt-sleeves, were taking down the heavy, grey, burglar-proof shutters of the shops opposite.
enchantedadjectiveUS /ɪnˈtʃæn.tɪd/
Filled with or placed under the influence of magical power or charm.
From this reading Iris was ill unto death, Napier was enchanted....
a division of the United Kingdom
From this reading What had happened, what were the alarums and excursions of that grey day yesterday, which had leapt at me from the darkness as I made to return to England after four months of pleasant wandering?
excursionsnounUS /ɪkˈskɜːrʒənz/
plural of “excursion” — a journey taken for pleasure
From this reading What had happened, what were the alarums and excursions of that grey day yesterday, which had leapt at me from the darkness as I made to return to England after four months of pleasant wandering?
the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one
From this reading What had happened, what were the alarums and excursions of that grey day yesterday, which had leapt at me from the darkness as I made to return to England after four months of pleasant wandering?
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading What had happened, what were the alarums and excursions of that grey day yesterday, which had leapt at me from the darkness as I made to return to England after four months of pleasant wandering?
of an achromatic color of any lightness intermediate between the extremes of white and black
From this reading What had happened, what were the alarums and excursions of that grey day yesterday, which had leapt at me from the darkness as I made to return to England after four months of pleasant wandering?
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading What had happened, what were the alarums and excursions of that grey day yesterday, which had leapt at me from the darkness as I made to return to England after four months of pleasant wandering?
past form of “happen” — come to pass
From this reading What had happened, what were the alarums and excursions of that grey day yesterday, which had leapt at me from the darkness as I made to return to England after four months of pleasant wandering?
of comparatively great physical weight or density
From this reading Men, some in shirt-sleeves, were taking down the heavy, grey, burglar-proof shutters of the shops opposite.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I lay in bed, staring through the lace curtains.
affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function
From this reading Iris was ill unto death, Napier was enchanted....
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading I lay in bed, staring through the lace curtains.
IrisnounUS /ˈaɪrəs/
plants with sword-shaped leaves and erect stalks bearing bright-colored flowers composed of three petals and three drooping sepals
From this reading Iris was ill unto death, Napier was enchanted....
laceverbUS /leɪs/
spin, wind, or twist together
From this reading I lay in bed, staring through the lace curtains.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading I lay in bed, staring through the lace curtains.
leaptverbUS /lept/
inflected form of “leap” — move forward by leaps and bounds
From this reading What had happened, what were the alarums and excursions of that grey day yesterday, which had leapt at me from the darkness as I made to return to England after four months of pleasant wandering?
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading What had happened, what were the alarums and excursions of that grey day yesterday, which had leapt at me from the darkness as I made to return to England after four months of pleasant wandering?
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading What had happened, what were the alarums and excursions of that grey day yesterday, which had leapt at me from the darkness as I made to return to England after four months of pleasant wandering?
the force of workers available
From this reading Men, some in shirt-sleeves, were taking down the heavy, grey, burglar-proof shutters of the shops opposite.
modistes
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Set in the small windows above the shops, the modistes’ assistants seemed to be talking and talking.
plural of “month” — one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year
From this reading What had happened, what were the alarums and excursions of that grey day yesterday, which had leapt at me from the darkness as I made to return to England after four months of pleasant wandering?
NapiernounUS /ˈneɪpiər/
Scottish mathematician who invented logarithms; introduced the use of the decimal point in writing numbers (1550-1617)
From this reading Iris was ill unto death, Napier was enchanted....
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading What had happened, what were the alarums and excursions of that grey day yesterday, which had leapt at me from the darkness as I made to return to England after four months of pleasant wandering?
being directly across from each other; facing
From this reading Men, some in shirt-sleeves, were taking down the heavy, grey, burglar-proof shutters of the shops opposite.
affording pleasure; being in harmony with your taste or likings
From this reading What had happened, what were the alarums and excursions of that grey day yesterday, which had leapt at me from the darkness as I made to return to England after four months of pleasant wandering?
go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading What had happened, what were the alarums and excursions of that grey day yesterday, which had leapt at me from the darkness as I made to return to England after four months of pleasant wandering?
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading Set in the small windows above the shops, the modistes’ assistants seemed to be talking and talking.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading Set in the small windows above the shops, the modistes’ assistants seemed to be talking and talking.
shirt-sleeves
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Men, some in shirt-sleeves, were taking down the heavy, grey, burglar-proof shutters of the shops opposite.
shopsnounUS /ʃɑːps/
plural of “shop” — a mercantile establishment for the retail sale of goods or services
From this reading Men, some in shirt-sleeves, were taking down the heavy, grey, burglar-proof shutters of the shops opposite.
shuttersnounUS /ˈʃʌtərz/
plural of “shutter” — a mechanical device on a camera that opens and closes to control the time of a photographic exposure
From this reading Men, some in shirt-sleeves, were taking down the heavy, grey, burglar-proof shutters of the shops opposite.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Set in the small windows above the shops, the modistes’ assistants seemed to be talking and talking.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Men, some in shirt-sleeves, were taking down the heavy, grey, burglar-proof shutters of the shops opposite.
(used of eyes) open and fixed as if in fear or wonder
From this reading I lay in bed, staring through the lace curtains.
the act of someone who picks up or takes something
From this reading Men, some in shirt-sleeves, were taking down the heavy, grey, burglar-proof shutters of the shops opposite.
an exchange of ideas via conversation
From this reading Set in the small windows above the shops, the modistes’ assistants seemed to be talking and talking.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading What had happened, what were the alarums and excursions of that grey day yesterday, which had leapt at me from the darkness as I made to return to England after four months of pleasant wandering?
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I lay in bed, staring through the lace curtains.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading I lay in bed, staring through the lace curtains.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading What had happened, what were the alarums and excursions of that grey day yesterday, which had leapt at me from the darkness as I made to return to England after four months of pleasant wandering?
untoprepositionUS /ˈʌntuː/
an old word for “to”
From this reading Iris was ill unto death, Napier was enchanted....
migratory
From this reading What had happened, what were the alarums and excursions of that grey day yesterday, which had leapt at me from the darkness as I made to return to England after four months of pleasant wandering?
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Iris was ill unto death, Napier was enchanted....
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading What had happened, what were the alarums and excursions of that grey day yesterday, which had leapt at me from the darkness as I made to return to England after four months of pleasant wandering?
used to ask for information about something
From this reading What had happened, what were the alarums and excursions of that grey day yesterday, which had leapt at me from the darkness as I made to return to England after four months of pleasant wandering?
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading What had happened, what were the alarums and excursions of that grey day yesterday, which had leapt at me from the darkness as I made to return to England after four months of pleasant wandering?
(trademark) an operating system with a graphical user interface
From this reading Set in the small windows above the shops, the modistes’ assistants seemed to be talking and talking.
the day immediately before today
From this reading What had happened, what were the alarums and excursions of that grey day yesterday, which had leapt at me from the darkness as I made to return to England after four months of pleasant wandering?
