used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading George Fordyce was listening to a maternal lecture the morning after a dance, at which he had been distributing his attentions very freely among the most attractive of the young ladies present.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading George Fordyce was listening to a maternal lecture the morning after a dance, at which he had been distributing his attentions very freely among the most attractive of the young ladies present.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading 'It's all your nonsense, mother,' said George imperturbably.
aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/
Having no one else present.
From this reading The breakfast was nearly an hour late, and mother and son partook of it alone, Mr. Fordyce being in London on business, and the fair Julia not yet out of bed.
amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/
surrounded by; in the middle of a group
From this reading George Fordyce was listening to a maternal lecture the morning after a dance, at which he had been distributing his attentions very freely among the most attractive of the young ladies present.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading The breakfast was nearly an hour late, and mother and son partook of it alone, Mr. Fordyce being in London on business, and the fair Julia not yet out of bed.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The breakfast was nearly an hour late, and mother and son partook of it alone, Mr. Fordyce being in London on business, and the fair Julia not yet out of bed.
any person at all
From this reading 'I didn't pay special court to anybody except Clara.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading George Fordyce was listening to a maternal lecture the morning after a dance, at which he had been distributing his attentions very freely among the most attractive of the young ladies present.
attentionsnounUS /əˈtenʃənz/
plural of “attention” — the process whereby a person concentrates on some features of the environment to the (relative) exclusion of others
From this reading George Fordyce was listening to a maternal lecture the morning after a dance, at which he had been distributing his attentions very freely among the most attractive of the young ladies present.
attractiveadjectiveUS /əˈtræktɪv/
pleasing to the eye or mind especially through beauty or charm
From this reading George Fordyce was listening to a maternal lecture the morning after a dance, at which he had been distributing his attentions very freely among the most attractive of the young ladies present.
a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep
From this reading The breakfast was nearly an hour late, and mother and son partook of it alone, Mr. Fordyce being in London on business, and the fair Julia not yet out of bed.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading George Fordyce was listening to a maternal lecture the morning after a dance, at which he had been distributing his attentions very freely among the most attractive of the young ladies present.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading The breakfast was nearly an hour late, and mother and son partook of it alone, Mr. Fordyce being in London on business, and the fair Julia not yet out of bed.
eat an early morning meal
From this reading The breakfast was nearly an hour late, and mother and son partook of it alone, Mr. Fordyce being in London on business, and the fair Julia not yet out of bed.
a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it
From this reading The breakfast was nearly an hour late, and mother and son partook of it alone, Mr. Fordyce being in London on business, and the fair Julia not yet out of bed.
Clara
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 'I didn't pay special court to anybody except Clara.
an assembly (including one or more judges) to conduct judicial business
From this reading 'I didn't pay special court to anybody except Clara.
an artistic form of nonverbal communication
From this reading George Fordyce was listening to a maternal lecture the morning after a dance, at which he had been distributing his attentions very freely among the most attractive of the young ladies present.
didn't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 'I didn't pay special court to anybody except Clara.
distributingverbUS /dɪˈstrɪbjuːtɪŋ/
-ing form of “distribute” — administer or bestow, as in small portions
From this reading George Fordyce was listening to a maternal lecture the morning after a dance, at which he had been distributing his attentions very freely among the most attractive of the young ladies present.
apart from; not including
From this reading 'I didn't pay special court to anybody except Clara.
free from favoritism or self-interest or bias or deception; conforming with established standards or rules
From this reading The breakfast was nearly an hour late, and mother and son partook of it alone, Mr. Fordyce being in London on business, and the fair Julia not yet out of bed.
Fordyce
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading George Fordyce was listening to a maternal lecture the morning after a dance, at which he had been distributing his attentions very freely among the most attractive of the young ladies present.
in a free manner
From this reading George Fordyce was listening to a maternal lecture the morning after a dance, at which he had been distributing his attentions very freely among the most attractive of the young ladies present.
Christian martyr; patron saint of England; hero of the legend of Saint George and the Dragon in which he slew a dragon and saved a princess (?-303)
From this reading George Fordyce was listening to a maternal lecture the morning after a dance, at which he had been distributing his attentions very freely among the most attractive of the young ladies present.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading George Fordyce was listening to a maternal lecture the morning after a dance, at which he had been distributing his attentions very freely among the most attractive of the young ladies present.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading George Fordyce was listening to a maternal lecture the morning after a dance, at which he had been distributing his attentions very freely among the most attractive of the young ladies present.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading George Fordyce was listening to a maternal lecture the morning after a dance, at which he had been distributing his attentions very freely among the most attractive of the young ladies present.
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading The breakfast was nearly an hour late, and mother and son partook of it alone, Mr. Fordyce being in London on business, and the fair Julia not yet out of bed.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading 'I didn't pay special court to anybody except Clara.
imperturbably
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 'It's all your nonsense, mother,' said George imperturbably.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The breakfast was nearly an hour late, and mother and son partook of it alone, Mr. Fordyce being in London on business, and the fair Julia not yet out of bed.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The breakfast was nearly an hour late, and mother and son partook of it alone, Mr. Fordyce being in London on business, and the fair Julia not yet out of bed.
It's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 'It's all your nonsense, mother,' said George imperturbably.
Julia
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The breakfast was nearly an hour late, and mother and son partook of it alone, Mr. Fordyce being in London on business, and the fair Julia not yet out of bed.
plural of “lady” — a polite name for any woman
From this reading George Fordyce was listening to a maternal lecture the morning after a dance, at which he had been distributing his attentions very freely among the most attractive of the young ladies present.
being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time
From this reading TOO LATE!
lectureverbUS /ˈlektʃər/
deliver a lecture or talk
From this reading George Fordyce was listening to a maternal lecture the morning after a dance, at which he had been distributing his attentions very freely among the most attractive of the young ladies present.
the act of hearing attentively
From this reading George Fordyce was listening to a maternal lecture the morning after a dance, at which he had been distributing his attentions very freely among the most attractive of the young ladies present.
the capital and largest city of England; located on the Thames in southeastern England; financial and industrial and cultural center
From this reading The breakfast was nearly an hour late, and mother and son partook of it alone, Mr. Fordyce being in London on business, and the fair Julia not yet out of bed.
maternaladjectiveUS /məˈtɜːrnəl/
characteristic of a mother
From this reading George Fordyce was listening to a maternal lecture the morning after a dance, at which he had been distributing his attentions very freely among the most attractive of the young ladies present.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading George Fordyce was listening to a maternal lecture the morning after a dance, at which he had been distributing his attentions very freely among the most attractive of the young ladies present.
used to form the superlative
From this reading George Fordyce was listening to a maternal lecture the morning after a dance, at which he had been distributing his attentions very freely among the most attractive of the young ladies present.
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading The breakfast was nearly an hour late, and mother and son partook of it alone, Mr. Fordyce being in London on business, and the fair Julia not yet out of bed.
a form of address for a man
From this reading The breakfast was nearly an hour late, and mother and son partook of it alone, Mr. Fordyce being in London on business, and the fair Julia not yet out of bed.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading The breakfast was nearly an hour late, and mother and son partook of it alone, Mr. Fordyce being in London on business, and the fair Julia not yet out of bed.
a message that seems to convey no meaning
From this reading 'It's all your nonsense, mother,' said George imperturbably.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The breakfast was nearly an hour late, and mother and son partook of it alone, Mr. Fordyce being in London on business, and the fair Julia not yet out of bed.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading George Fordyce was listening to a maternal lecture the morning after a dance, at which he had been distributing his attentions very freely among the most attractive of the young ladies present.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The breakfast was nearly an hour late, and mother and son partook of it alone, Mr. Fordyce being in London on business, and the fair Julia not yet out of bed.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading The breakfast was nearly an hour late, and mother and son partook of it alone, Mr. Fordyce being in London on business, and the fair Julia not yet out of bed.
partook
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The breakfast was nearly an hour late, and mother and son partook of it alone, Mr. Fordyce being in London on business, and the fair Julia not yet out of bed.
give money, usually in exchange for goods or services
From this reading 'I didn't pay special court to anybody except Clara.
give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading George Fordyce was listening to a maternal lecture the morning after a dance, at which he had been distributing his attentions very freely among the most attractive of the young ladies present.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading 'It's all your nonsense, mother,' said George imperturbably.
a male human offspring
From this reading The breakfast was nearly an hour late, and mother and son partook of it alone, Mr. Fordyce being in London on business, and the fair Julia not yet out of bed.
unique or specific to a person or thing or category
From this reading 'I didn't pay special court to anybody except Clara.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading George Fordyce was listening to a maternal lecture the morning after a dance, at which he had been distributing his attentions very freely among the most attractive of the young ladies present.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading George Fordyce was listening to a maternal lecture the morning after a dance, at which he had been distributing his attentions very freely among the most attractive of the young ladies present.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading TOO LATE!
precisely as stated
From this reading George Fordyce was listening to a maternal lecture the morning after a dance, at which he had been distributing his attentions very freely among the most attractive of the young ladies present.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading George Fordyce was listening to a maternal lecture the morning after a dance, at which he had been distributing his attentions very freely among the most attractive of the young ladies present.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading George Fordyce was listening to a maternal lecture the morning after a dance, at which he had been distributing his attentions very freely among the most attractive of the young ladies present.
but in spite of that
From this reading The breakfast was nearly an hour late, and mother and son partook of it alone, Mr. Fordyce being in London on business, and the fair Julia not yet out of bed.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading George Fordyce was listening to a maternal lecture the morning after a dance, at which he had been distributing his attentions very freely among the most attractive of the young ladies present.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading 'It's all your nonsense, mother,' said George imperturbably.
