Chapter XXVIII · Chapter 28

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading The question, though asked casually, had, to the listener, the effect of falling with a splash, as of a stone into a well, awakening unexpected echoes, disturbing, rather harshly, the constrained silence which had reigned during the earlier part of dinner.

the part of the day between noon and evening

From this reading All the long, hot afternoon, Madame de Vallorbes had been alone--Richard invisible, shut persistently away in those rooms of the _entresol_ into which, as yet, she had never succeeded in penetrating.

(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 All the long, hot afternoon, Madame de Vallorbes had been alone--Richard invisible, shut persistently away in those rooms of the _entresol_ into which, as yet, she had never succeeded in penetrating.

Having no one else present.

From this reading All the long, hot afternoon, Madame de Vallorbes had been alone--Richard invisible, shut persistently away in those rooms of the _entresol_ into which, as yet, she had never succeeded in penetrating.

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading The question, though asked casually, had, to the listener, the effect of falling with a splash, as of a stone into a well, awakening unexpected echoes, disturbing, rather harshly, the constrained silence which had reigned during the earlier part of dinner.

past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading The question, though asked casually, had, to the listener, the effect of falling with a splash, as of a stone into a well, awakening unexpected echoes, disturbing, rather harshly, the constrained silence which had reigned during the earlier part of dinner.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading IN WHICH HELEN DE VALLORBES LEARNS HER RIVAL'S NAME "I hear Morabita sings, in _Ernani_, at the San Carlo on Friday night.

the act of waking

From this reading The question, though asked casually, had, to the listener, the effect of falling with a splash, as of a stone into a well, awakening unexpected echoes, disturbing, rather harshly, the constrained silence which had reigned during the earlier part of dinner.

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading All the long, hot afternoon, Madame de Vallorbes had been alone--Richard invisible, shut persistently away in those rooms of the _entresol_ into which, as yet, she had never succeeded in penetrating.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading All the long, hot afternoon, Madame de Vallorbes had been alone--Richard invisible, shut persistently away in those rooms of the _entresol_ into which, as yet, she had never succeeded in penetrating.

the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something

From this reading Do you care to go, Helen?"

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading IN WHICH HELEN DE VALLORBES LEARNS HER RIVAL'S NAME "I hear Morabita sings, in _Ernani_, at the San Carlo on Friday night.

not methodically or according to plan

From this reading The question, though asked casually, had, to the listener, the effect of falling with a splash, as of a stone into a well, awakening unexpected echoes, disturbing, rather harshly, the constrained silence which had reigned during the earlier part of dinner.

lacking spontaneity; not natural

From this reading The question, though asked casually, had, to the listener, the effect of falling with a splash, as of a stone into a well, awakening unexpected echoes, disturbing, rather harshly, the constrained silence which had reigned during the earlier part of dinner.

a Mid-Atlantic state; one of the original 13 colonies

From this reading IN WHICH HELEN DE VALLORBES LEARNS HER RIVAL'S NAME "I hear Morabita sings, in _Ernani_, at the San Carlo on Friday night.

the main meal of the day served in the evening or at midday

From this reading The question, though asked casually, had, to the listener, the effect of falling with a splash, as of a stone into a well, awakening unexpected echoes, disturbing, rather harshly, the constrained silence which had reigned during the earlier part of dinner.

causing distress or worry or anxiety

From this reading The question, though asked casually, had, to the listener, the effect of falling with a splash, as of a stone into a well, awakening unexpected echoes, disturbing, rather harshly, the constrained silence which had reigned during the earlier part of dinner.

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading Do you care to go, Helen?"

all through a period, or at some point within it

From this reading The question, though asked casually, had, to the listener, the effect of falling with a splash, as of a stone into a well, awakening unexpected echoes, disturbing, rather harshly, the constrained silence which had reigned during the earlier part of dinner.

earlier in time; previously

From this reading The question, though asked casually, had, to the listener, the effect of falling with a splash, as of a stone into a well, awakening unexpected echoes, disturbing, rather harshly, the constrained silence which had reigned during the earlier part of dinner.

plural of “echo” — the repetition of a sound resulting from reflection of the sound waves

From this reading The question, though asked casually, had, to the listener, the effect of falling with a splash, as of a stone into a well, awakening unexpected echoes, disturbing, rather harshly, the constrained silence which had reigned during the earlier part of dinner.

a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon

From this reading The question, though asked casually, had, to the listener, the effect of falling with a splash, as of a stone into a well, awakening unexpected echoes, disturbing, rather harshly, the constrained silence which had reigned during the earlier part of dinner.

intermediate floor just above the ground floor

From this reading All the long, hot afternoon, Madame de Vallorbes had been alone--Richard invisible, shut persistently away in those rooms of the _entresol_ into which, as yet, she had never succeeded in penetrating.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading IN WHICH HELEN DE VALLORBES LEARNS HER RIVAL'S NAME "I hear Morabita sings, in _Ernani_, at the San Carlo on Friday night.

decreasing in amount or degree

From this reading The question, though asked casually, had, to the listener, the effect of falling with a splash, as of a stone into a well, awakening unexpected echoes, disturbing, rather harshly, the constrained silence which had reigned during the earlier part of dinner.

the sixth day of the week; the fifth working day

From this reading IN WHICH HELEN DE VALLORBES LEARNS HER RIVAL'S NAME "I hear Morabita sings, in _Ernani_, at the San Carlo on Friday night.

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading Do you care to go, Helen?"

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading The question, though asked casually, had, to the listener, the effect of falling with a splash, as of a stone into a well, awakening unexpected echoes, disturbing, rather harshly, the constrained silence which had reigned during the earlier part of dinner.

in a harsh or unkind manner

From this reading The question, though asked casually, had, to the listener, the effect of falling with a splash, as of a stone into a well, awakening unexpected echoes, disturbing, rather harshly, the constrained silence which had reigned during the earlier part of dinner.

perceive (sound) via the auditory sense

From this reading IN WHICH HELEN DE VALLORBES LEARNS HER RIVAL'S NAME "I hear Morabita sings, in _Ernani_, at the San Carlo on Friday night.

(Greek mythology) the beautiful daughter of Zeus and Leda who was abducted by Paris; the Greek army sailed to Troy to get her back which resulted in the Trojan War

From this reading IN WHICH HELEN DE VALLORBES LEARNS HER RIVAL'S NAME "I hear Morabita sings, in _Ernani_, at the San Carlo on Friday night.

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading IN WHICH HELEN DE VALLORBES LEARNS HER RIVAL'S NAME "I hear Morabita sings, in _Ernani_, at the San Carlo on Friday night.

used of physical heat; having a high or higher than desirable temperature or giving off heat or feeling or causing a sensation of heat or burning

From this reading All the long, hot afternoon, Madame de Vallorbes had been alone--Richard invisible, shut persistently away in those rooms of the _entresol_ into which, as yet, she had never succeeded in penetrating.

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading IN WHICH HELEN DE VALLORBES LEARNS HER RIVAL'S NAME "I hear Morabita sings, in _Ernani_, at the San Carlo on Friday night.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading IN WHICH HELEN DE VALLORBES LEARNS HER RIVAL'S NAME "I hear Morabita sings, in _Ernani_, at the San Carlo on Friday night.

moving to the inside of something

From this reading The question, though asked casually, had, to the listener, the effect of falling with a splash, as of a stone into a well, awakening unexpected echoes, disturbing, rather harshly, the constrained silence which had reigned during the earlier part of dinner.

impossible or nearly impossible to see; imperceptible by the eye

From this reading All the long, hot afternoon, Madame de Vallorbes had been alone--Richard invisible, shut persistently away in those rooms of the _entresol_ into which, as yet, she had never succeeded in penetrating.

third-person singular of “learn” — gain knowledge or skills

From this reading IN WHICH HELEN DE VALLORBES LEARNS HER RIVAL'S NAME "I hear Morabita sings, in _Ernani_, at the San Carlo on Friday night.

someone who listens attentively

From this reading The question, though asked casually, had, to the listener, the effect of falling with a splash, as of a stone into a well, awakening unexpected echoes, disturbing, rather harshly, the constrained silence which had reigned during the earlier part of dinner.

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 All the long, hot afternoon, Madame de Vallorbes had been alone--Richard invisible, shut persistently away in those rooms of the _entresol_ into which, as yet, she had never succeeded in penetrating.

title used for a married Frenchwoman

From this reading All the long, hot afternoon, Madame de Vallorbes had been alone--Richard invisible, shut persistently away in those rooms of the _entresol_ into which, as yet, she had never succeeded in penetrating.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading IN WHICH HELEN DE VALLORBES LEARNS HER RIVAL'S NAME "I hear Morabita sings, in _Ernani_, at the San Carlo on Friday night.

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading IN WHICH HELEN DE VALLORBES LEARNS HER RIVAL'S NAME "I hear Morabita sings, in _Ernani_, at the San Carlo on Friday night.

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading All the long, hot afternoon, Madame de Vallorbes had been alone--Richard invisible, shut persistently away in those rooms of the _entresol_ into which, as yet, she had never succeeded in penetrating.

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading IN WHICH HELEN DE VALLORBES LEARNS HER RIVAL'S NAME "I hear Morabita sings, in _Ernani_, at the San Carlo on Friday night.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Richard had not proposed to her to do so.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The question, though asked casually, had, to the listener, the effect of falling with a splash, as of a stone into a well, awakening unexpected echoes, disturbing, rather harshly, the constrained silence which had reigned during the earlier part of dinner.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading IN WHICH HELEN DE VALLORBES LEARNS HER RIVAL'S NAME "I hear Morabita sings, in _Ernani_, at the San Carlo on Friday night.

something determined in relation to something that includes it

From this reading The question, though asked casually, had, to the listener, the effect of falling with a splash, as of a stone into a well, awakening unexpected echoes, disturbing, rather harshly, the constrained silence which had reigned during the earlier part of dinner.

having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions

From this reading All the long, hot afternoon, Madame de Vallorbes had been alone--Richard invisible, shut persistently away in those rooms of the _entresol_ into which, as yet, she had never succeeded in penetrating.

in a persistent manner

From this reading All the long, hot afternoon, Madame de Vallorbes had been alone--Richard invisible, shut persistently away in those rooms of the _entresol_ into which, as yet, she had never succeeded in penetrating.

past form of “propose” — make a proposal, declare a plan for something

From this reading Richard had not proposed to her to do so.

challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of

From this reading The question, though asked casually, had, to the listener, the effect of falling with a splash, as of a stone into a well, awakening unexpected echoes, disturbing, rather harshly, the constrained silence which had reigned during the earlier part of dinner.

on the contrary

From this reading The question, though asked casually, had, to the listener, the effect of falling with a splash, as of a stone into a well, awakening unexpected echoes, disturbing, rather harshly, the constrained silence which had reigned during the earlier part of dinner.

past form of “reign” — have sovereign power

From this reading The question, though asked casually, had, to the listener, the effect of falling with a splash, as of a stone into a well, awakening unexpected echoes, disturbing, rather harshly, the constrained silence which had reigned during the earlier part of dinner.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading All the long, hot afternoon, Madame de Vallorbes had been alone--Richard invisible, shut persistently away in those rooms of the _entresol_ into which, as yet, she had never succeeded in penetrating.

possessive form of “rival” — the contestant you hope to defeat

From this reading IN WHICH HELEN DE VALLORBES LEARNS HER RIVAL'S NAME "I hear Morabita sings, in _Ernani_, at the San Carlo on Friday night.

apartment consisting of a series of connected rooms used as a living unit (as in a hotel)

From this reading All the long, hot afternoon, Madame de Vallorbes had been alone--Richard invisible, shut persistently away in those rooms of the _entresol_ into which, as yet, she had never succeeded in penetrating.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading IN WHICH HELEN DE VALLORBES LEARNS HER RIVAL'S NAME "I hear Morabita sings, in _Ernani_, at the San Carlo on Friday night.

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading All the long, hot afternoon, Madame de Vallorbes had been alone--Richard invisible, shut persistently away in those rooms of the _entresol_ into which, as yet, she had never succeeded in penetrating.

move so that an opening or passage is obstructed; make shut

From this reading All the long, hot afternoon, Madame de Vallorbes had been alone--Richard invisible, shut persistently away in those rooms of the _entresol_ into which, as yet, she had never succeeded in penetrating.

Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.

From this reading The question, though asked casually, had, to the listener, the effect of falling with a splash, as of a stone into a well, awakening unexpected echoes, disturbing, rather harshly, the constrained silence which had reigned during the earlier part of dinner.

third-person singular of “sing” — deliver by singing

From this reading IN WHICH HELEN DE VALLORBES LEARNS HER RIVAL'S NAME "I hear Morabita sings, in _Ernani_, at the San Carlo on Friday night.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading Richard had not proposed to her to do so.

cause (a liquid) to spatter about, especially with force

From this reading The question, though asked casually, had, to the listener, the effect of falling with a splash, as of a stone into a well, awakening unexpected echoes, disturbing, rather harshly, the constrained silence which had reigned during the earlier part of dinner.

a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter

From this reading The question, though asked casually, had, to the listener, the effect of falling with a splash, as of a stone into a well, awakening unexpected echoes, disturbing, rather harshly, the constrained silence which had reigned during the earlier part of dinner.

past form of “succeed” — attain success or reach a desired goal

From this reading All the long, hot afternoon, Madame de Vallorbes had been alone--Richard invisible, shut persistently away in those rooms of the _entresol_ into which, as yet, she had never succeeded in penetrating.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading IN WHICH HELEN DE VALLORBES LEARNS HER RIVAL'S NAME "I hear Morabita sings, in _Ernani_, at the San Carlo on Friday night.

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading All the long, hot afternoon, Madame de Vallorbes had been alone--Richard invisible, shut persistently away in those rooms of the _entresol_ into which, as yet, she had never succeeded in penetrating.

in spite of the fact that

From this reading The question, though asked casually, had, to the listener, the effect of falling with a splash, as of a stone into a well, awakening unexpected echoes, disturbing, rather harshly, the constrained silence which had reigned during the earlier part of dinner.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading Do you care to go, Helen?"

not expected or anticipated

From this reading The question, though asked casually, had, to the listener, the effect of falling with a splash, as of a stone into a well, awakening unexpected echoes, disturbing, rather harshly, the constrained silence which had reigned during the earlier part of dinner.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading IN WHICH HELEN DE VALLORBES LEARNS HER RIVAL'S NAME "I hear Morabita sings, in _Ernani_, at the San Carlo on Friday night.

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading The question, though asked casually, had, to the listener, the effect of falling with a splash, as of a stone into a well, awakening unexpected echoes, disturbing, rather harshly, the constrained silence which had reigned during the earlier part of dinner.

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading IN WHICH HELEN DE VALLORBES LEARNS HER RIVAL'S NAME "I hear Morabita sings, in _Ernani_, at the San Carlo on Friday night.

in the company of; together with

From this reading The question, though asked casually, had, to the listener, the effect of falling with a splash, as of a stone into a well, awakening unexpected echoes, disturbing, rather harshly, the constrained silence which had reigned during the earlier part of dinner.

but in spite of that

From this reading All the long, hot afternoon, Madame de Vallorbes had been alone--Richard invisible, shut persistently away in those rooms of the _entresol_ into which, as yet, she had never succeeded in penetrating.

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Do you care to go, Helen?"