used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The red curtains fell over the windows; a carpet had replaced or covered the summer mat; the lamp was lighted, but burned low; and a fire of nut wood sticks blazed and crackled softly in the chimney.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The red curtains fell over the windows; a carpet had replaced or covered the summer mat; the lamp was lighted, but burned low; and a fire of nut wood sticks blazed and crackled softly in the chimney.
blazenounUS /bleɪz/
a strong flame that burns brightly
From this reading Matilda sat down on the rug in front of the blaze; but she was hardly there when she heard the front door open and Norton come in.
blazedverbUS /bleɪzd/
past form of “blaze” — shine brightly and intensively
From this reading The red curtains fell over the windows; a carpet had replaced or covered the summer mat; the lamp was lighted, but burned low; and a fire of nut wood sticks blazed and crackled softly in the chimney.
treated by heating to a high temperature but below the melting or fusing point
From this reading The red curtains fell over the windows; a carpet had replaced or covered the summer mat; the lamp was lighted, but burned low; and a fire of nut wood sticks blazed and crackled softly in the chimney.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The red curtains fell over the windows; a carpet had replaced or covered the summer mat; the lamp was lighted, but burned low; and a fire of nut wood sticks blazed and crackled softly in the chimney.
carpetnounUS /ˈkɑːrpət/
floor covering consisting of a piece of thick heavy fabric (usually with nap or pile)
From this reading The red curtains fell over the windows; a carpet had replaced or covered the summer mat; the lamp was lighted, but burned low; and a fire of nut wood sticks blazed and crackled softly in the chimney.
chimneynounUS /ˈtʃɪmni/
a vertical flue that provides a path through which smoke from a fire is carried away through the wall or roof of a building
From this reading The red curtains fell over the windows; a carpet had replaced or covered the summer mat; the lamp was lighted, but burned low; and a fire of nut wood sticks blazed and crackled softly in the chimney.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Matilda sat down on the rug in front of the blaze; but she was hardly there when she heard the front door open and Norton come in.
overlaid or spread or topped with or enclosed within something; sometimes used as a combining form
From this reading The red curtains fell over the windows; a carpet had replaced or covered the summer mat; the lamp was lighted, but burned low; and a fire of nut wood sticks blazed and crackled softly in the chimney.
crackledverbUS /ˈkrækəld/
past form of “crackle” — make a crackling sound
From this reading The red curtains fell over the windows; a carpet had replaced or covered the summer mat; the lamp was lighted, but burned low; and a fire of nut wood sticks blazed and crackled softly in the chimney.
curtainsnounUS /ˈkɜːrtənz/
plural of “curtain” — hanging cloth used as a blind (especially for a window)
From this reading The red curtains fell over the windows; a carpet had replaced or covered the summer mat; the lamp was lighted, but burned low; and a fire of nut wood sticks blazed and crackled softly in the chimney.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading Matilda sat down on the rug in front of the blaze; but she was hardly there when she heard the front door open and Norton come in.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading Matilda sat down on the rug in front of the blaze; but she was hardly there when she heard the front door open and Norton come in.
cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow
From this reading The red curtains fell over the windows; a carpet had replaced or covered the summer mat; the lamp was lighted, but burned low; and a fire of nut wood sticks blazed and crackled softly in the chimney.
start firing a weapon
From this reading The red curtains fell over the windows; a carpet had replaced or covered the summer mat; the lamp was lighted, but burned low; and a fire of nut wood sticks blazed and crackled softly in the chimney.
the side that is forward or prominent
From this reading Matilda sat down on the rug in front of the blaze; but she was hardly there when she heard the front door open and Norton come in.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The red curtains fell over the windows; a carpet had replaced or covered the summer mat; the lamp was lighted, but burned low; and a fire of nut wood sticks blazed and crackled softly in the chimney.
only a very short time before
From this reading Matilda sat down on the rug in front of the blaze; but she was hardly there when she heard the front door open and Norton come in.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading Matilda sat down on the rug in front of the blaze; but she was hardly there when she heard the front door open and Norton come in.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading It was in winter trim now.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was in winter trim now.
an artificial source of visible illumination
From this reading The red curtains fell over the windows; a carpet had replaced or covered the summer mat; the lamp was lighted, but burned low; and a fire of nut wood sticks blazed and crackled softly in the chimney.
set afire or burning
From this reading The red curtains fell over the windows; a carpet had replaced or covered the summer mat; the lamp was lighted, but burned low; and a fire of nut wood sticks blazed and crackled softly in the chimney.
less than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading The red curtains fell over the windows; a carpet had replaced or covered the summer mat; the lamp was lighted, but burned low; and a fire of nut wood sticks blazed and crackled softly in the chimney.
matnounUS /mæt/
a thick flat pad used as a floor covering
From this reading The red curtains fell over the windows; a carpet had replaced or covered the summer mat; the lamp was lighted, but burned low; and a fire of nut wood sticks blazed and crackled softly in the chimney.
Matilda
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Matilda went to the study.
Norton
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Matilda sat down on the rug in front of the blaze; but she was hardly there when she heard the front door open and Norton come in.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading It was in winter trim now.
nutnounUS /nʌt/
usually large hard-shelled seed
From this reading The red curtains fell over the windows; a carpet had replaced or covered the summer mat; the lamp was lighted, but burned low; and a fire of nut wood sticks blazed and crackled softly in the chimney.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The red curtains fell over the windows; a carpet had replaced or covered the summer mat; the lamp was lighted, but burned low; and a fire of nut wood sticks blazed and crackled softly in the chimney.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Matilda sat down on the rug in front of the blaze; but she was hardly there when she heard the front door open and Norton come in.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading Matilda sat down on the rug in front of the blaze; but she was hardly there when she heard the front door open and Norton come in.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading The red curtains fell over the windows; a carpet had replaced or covered the summer mat; the lamp was lighted, but burned low; and a fire of nut wood sticks blazed and crackled softly in the chimney.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading The red curtains fell over the windows; a carpet had replaced or covered the summer mat; the lamp was lighted, but burned low; and a fire of nut wood sticks blazed and crackled softly in the chimney.
red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood
From this reading The red curtains fell over the windows; a carpet had replaced or covered the summer mat; the lamp was lighted, but burned low; and a fire of nut wood sticks blazed and crackled softly in the chimney.
replacedverbUS /ˌriːˈpleɪst/
past form of “replace” — substitute a person or thing for (another that is broken or inefficient or lost or no longer working or yielding what is expected)
From this reading The red curtains fell over the windows; a carpet had replaced or covered the summer mat; the lamp was lighted, but burned low; and a fire of nut wood sticks blazed and crackled softly in the chimney.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading The whole room was sweet with the smell of it.
rugnounUS /rʌɡ/
floor covering consisting of a piece of thick heavy fabric (usually with nap or pile)
From this reading Matilda sat down on the rug in front of the blaze; but she was hardly there when she heard the front door open and Norton come in.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading Matilda sat down on the rug in front of the blaze; but she was hardly there when she heard the front door open and Norton come in.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Matilda sat down on the rug in front of the blaze; but she was hardly there when she heard the front door open and Norton come in.
the sensation that results when olfactory receptors in the nose are stimulated by particular chemicals in gaseous form
From this reading The whole room was sweet with the smell of it.
with low volume
From this reading The red curtains fell over the windows; a carpet had replaced or covered the summer mat; the lamp was lighted, but burned low; and a fire of nut wood sticks blazed and crackled softly in the chimney.
sticksnounUS /stɪks/
plural of “stick” — an implement consisting of a length of wood
From this reading The red curtains fell over the windows; a carpet had replaced or covered the summer mat; the lamp was lighted, but burned low; and a fire of nut wood sticks blazed and crackled softly in the chimney.
a detailed critical inspection
From this reading Matilda went to the study.
the warmest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the summer solstice to the autumnal equinox
From this reading The red curtains fell over the windows; a carpet had replaced or covered the summer mat; the lamp was lighted, but burned low; and a fire of nut wood sticks blazed and crackled softly in the chimney.
having or denoting the characteristic taste of sugar
From this reading The whole room was sweet with the smell of it.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Matilda went to the study.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Matilda sat down on the rug in front of the blaze; but she was hardly there when she heard the front door open and Norton come in.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Matilda went to the study.
trimverbUS /trɪm/
remove the edges from and cut down to the desired size
From this reading It was in winter trim now.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was in winter trim now.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Matilda went to the study.
at the time that
From this reading Matilda sat down on the rug in front of the blaze; but she was hardly there when she heard the front door open and Norton come in.
including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete
From this reading The whole room was sweet with the smell of it.
(trademark) an operating system with a graphical user interface
From this reading The red curtains fell over the windows; a carpet had replaced or covered the summer mat; the lamp was lighted, but burned low; and a fire of nut wood sticks blazed and crackled softly in the chimney.
the coldest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the winter solstice to the vernal equinox
From this reading It was in winter trim now.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The whole room was sweet with the smell of it.
the hard fibrous lignified substance under the bark of trees
From this reading The red curtains fell over the windows; a carpet had replaced or covered the summer mat; the lamp was lighted, but burned low; and a fire of nut wood sticks blazed and crackled softly in the chimney.
