used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Mrs. Uxeley never went out for this, but occupied herself with every trifling indoor detail; and there were endless discussions, followed by more drives to the shops, for the old lady was anything but easy to please, vain as she was of her fame as a hostess and afraid of losing it through the least omission.
filled with fear or apprehension
From this reading Mrs. Uxeley never went out for this, but occupied herself with every trifling indoor detail; and there were endless discussions, followed by more drives to the shops, for the old lady was anything but easy to please, vain as she was of her fame as a hostess and afraid of losing it through the least omission.
(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 was January; and these were busy days for Cornélie, because Mrs. Uxeley was soon to give one of her celebrated evenings and Cornélie's free hours in the morning were now taken up with running all sorts of errands.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It was January; and these were busy days for Cornélie, because Mrs. Uxeley was soon to give one of her celebrated evenings and Cornélie's free hours in the morning were now taken up with running all sorts of errands.
any thing at all
From this reading Mrs. Uxeley never went out for this, but occupied herself with every trifling indoor detail; and there were endless discussions, followed by more drives to the shops, for the old lady was anything but easy to please, vain as she was of her fame as a hostess and afraid of losing it through the least omission.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Mrs. Uxeley never went out for this, but occupied herself with every trifling indoor detail; and there were endless discussions, followed by more drives to the shops, for the old lady was anything but easy to please, vain as she was of her fame as a hostess and afraid of losing it through the least omission.
for the reason that
From this reading It was January; and these were busy days for Cornélie, because Mrs. Uxeley was soon to give one of her celebrated evenings and Cornélie's free hours in the morning were now taken up with running all sorts of errands.
actively or fully engaged or occupied
From this reading It was January; and these were busy days for Cornélie, because Mrs. Uxeley was soon to give one of her celebrated evenings and Cornélie's free hours in the morning were now taken up with running all sorts of errands.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Mrs. Uxeley never went out for this, but occupied herself with every trifling indoor detail; and there were endless discussions, followed by more drives to the shops, for the old lady was anything but easy to please, vain as she was of her fame as a hostess and afraid of losing it through the least omission.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Mrs. Uxeley never went out for this, but occupied herself with every trifling indoor detail; and there were endless discussions, followed by more drives to the shops, for the old lady was anything but easy to please, vain as she was of her fame as a hostess and afraid of losing it through the least omission.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Urania generally drove with her; and she came to rely upon Urania.
celebratedadjectiveUS /ˈseləbreɪtɪd/
widely known and esteemed
From this reading It was January; and these were busy days for Cornélie, because Mrs. Uxeley was soon to give one of her celebrated evenings and Cornélie's free hours in the morning were now taken up with running all sorts of errands.
Cornélie
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was January; and these were busy days for Cornélie, because Mrs. Uxeley was soon to give one of her celebrated evenings and Cornélie's free hours in the morning were now taken up with running all sorts of errands.
Cornélie's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was January; and these were busy days for Cornélie, because Mrs. Uxeley was soon to give one of her celebrated evenings and Cornélie's free hours in the morning were now taken up with running all sorts of errands.
cotillon
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They had to go to upholsterers, to pastry-cooks, to florists and to jewellers, where Cornélie and Urania selected presents for the cotillon.
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading It was January; and these were busy days for Cornélie, because Mrs. Uxeley was soon to give one of her celebrated evenings and Cornélie's free hours in the morning were now taken up with running all sorts of errands.
detailnounUS /dɪˈteɪl/
an isolated fact that is considered separately from the whole
From this reading Mrs. Uxeley never went out for this, but occupied herself with every trifling indoor detail; and there were endless discussions, followed by more drives to the shops, for the old lady was anything but easy to please, vain as she was of her fame as a hostess and afraid of losing it through the least omission.
discussionsnounUS /dɪˈskʌʃənz/
plural of “discussion” — an extended communication (often interactive) dealing with some particular topic
From this reading Mrs. Uxeley never went out for this, but occupied herself with every trifling indoor detail; and there were endless discussions, followed by more drives to the shops, for the old lady was anything but easy to please, vain as she was of her fame as a hostess and afraid of losing it through the least omission.
drivesnounUS /draɪvz/
plural of “drive” — the act of applying force to propel something
From this reading Mrs. Uxeley never went out for this, but occupied herself with every trifling indoor detail; and there were endless discussions, followed by more drives to the shops, for the old lady was anything but easy to please, vain as she was of her fame as a hostess and afraid of losing it through the least omission.
a group of animals (a herd or flock) moving together
From this reading Urania generally drove with her; and she came to rely upon Urania.
posing no difficulty; requiring little effort
From this reading Mrs. Uxeley never went out for this, but occupied herself with every trifling indoor detail; and there were endless discussions, followed by more drives to the shops, for the old lady was anything but easy to please, vain as she was of her fame as a hostess and afraid of losing it through the least omission.
endlessadjectiveUS /ˈendləs/
tiresomely long; seemingly without end
From this reading Mrs. Uxeley never went out for this, but occupied herself with every trifling indoor detail; and there were endless discussions, followed by more drives to the shops, for the old lady was anything but easy to please, vain as she was of her fame as a hostess and afraid of losing it through the least omission.
errandsnounUS /ˈerəndz/
plural of “errand” — a short trip that is taken in the performance of a necessary task or mission
From this reading It was January; and these were busy days for Cornélie, because Mrs. Uxeley was soon to give one of her celebrated evenings and Cornélie's free hours in the morning were now taken up with running all sorts of errands.
eveningsnounUS /ˈiːvnɪŋz/
plural of “evening” — the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading It was January; and these were busy days for Cornélie, because Mrs. Uxeley was soon to give one of her celebrated evenings and Cornélie's free hours in the morning were now taken up with running all sorts of errands.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading Mrs. Uxeley never went out for this, but occupied herself with every trifling indoor detail; and there were endless discussions, followed by more drives to the shops, for the old lady was anything but easy to please, vain as she was of her fame as a hostess and afraid of losing it through the least omission.
the state or quality of being widely honored and acclaimed
From this reading Mrs. Uxeley never went out for this, but occupied herself with every trifling indoor detail; and there were endless discussions, followed by more drives to the shops, for the old lady was anything but easy to please, vain as she was of her fame as a hostess and afraid of losing it through the least omission.
floristsnounUS /ˈflɔːrɪsts/
plural of “florist” — someone who grows and deals in flowers
From this reading They had to go to upholsterers, to pastry-cooks, to florists and to jewellers, where Cornélie and Urania selected presents for the cotillon.
past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after
From this reading Mrs. Uxeley never went out for this, but occupied herself with every trifling indoor detail; and there were endless discussions, followed by more drives to the shops, for the old lady was anything but easy to please, vain as she was of her fame as a hostess and afraid of losing it through the least omission.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading It was January; and these were busy days for Cornélie, because Mrs. Uxeley was soon to give one of her celebrated evenings and Cornélie's free hours in the morning were now taken up with running all sorts of errands.
grant freedom to; free from confinement
From this reading It was January; and these were busy days for Cornélie, because Mrs. Uxeley was soon to give one of her celebrated evenings and Cornélie's free hours in the morning were now taken up with running all sorts of errands.
usually; as a rule
From this reading Urania generally drove with her; and she came to rely upon Urania.
cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading It was January; and these were busy days for Cornélie, because Mrs. Uxeley was soon to give one of her celebrated evenings and Cornélie's free hours in the morning were now taken up with running all sorts of errands.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading They had to go to upholsterers, to pastry-cooks, to florists and to jewellers, where Cornélie and Urania selected presents for the cotillon.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Two months had passed like this.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading It was January; and these were busy days for Cornélie, because Mrs. Uxeley was soon to give one of her celebrated evenings and Cornélie's free hours in the morning were now taken up with running all sorts of errands.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading Mrs. Uxeley never went out for this, but occupied herself with every trifling indoor detail; and there were endless discussions, followed by more drives to the shops, for the old lady was anything but easy to please, vain as she was of her fame as a hostess and afraid of losing it through the least omission.
hostessnounUS /ˈhoʊstəs/
a woman host
From this reading Mrs. Uxeley never went out for this, but occupied herself with every trifling indoor detail; and there were endless discussions, followed by more drives to the shops, for the old lady was anything but easy to please, vain as she was of her fame as a hostess and afraid of losing it through the least omission.
a period of time assigned for work
From this reading It was January; and these were busy days for Cornélie, because Mrs. Uxeley was soon to give one of her celebrated evenings and Cornélie's free hours in the morning were now taken up with running all sorts of errands.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading It was January; and these were busy days for Cornélie, because Mrs. Uxeley was soon to give one of her celebrated evenings and Cornélie's free hours in the morning were now taken up with running all sorts of errands.
indooradjectiveUS /ˈɪndɔːr/
located, suited for, or taking place within a building
From this reading Mrs. Uxeley never went out for this, but occupied herself with every trifling indoor detail; and there were endless discussions, followed by more drives to the shops, for the old lady was anything but easy to please, vain as she was of her fame as a hostess and afraid of losing it through the least omission.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was January; and these were busy days for Cornélie, because Mrs. Uxeley was soon to give one of her celebrated evenings and Cornélie's free hours in the morning were now taken up with running all sorts of errands.
JanuarynounUS /ˈdʒænjuːeri/
the first month of the year; begins 10 days after the winter solstice
From this reading It was January; and these were busy days for Cornélie, because Mrs. Uxeley was soon to give one of her celebrated evenings and Cornélie's free hours in the morning were now taken up with running all sorts of errands.
jewellersnounUS /ˈdʒuːələrz/
plural of “jeweller” — someone who makes jewelry
From this reading They had to go to upholsterers, to pastry-cooks, to florists and to jewellers, where Cornélie and Urania selected presents for the cotillon.
a polite name for any woman
From this reading Mrs. Uxeley never went out for this, but occupied herself with every trifling indoor detail; and there were endless discussions, followed by more drives to the shops, for the old lady was anything but easy to please, vain as she was of her fame as a hostess and afraid of losing it through the least omission.
the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree
From this reading Mrs. Uxeley never went out for this, but occupied herself with every trifling indoor detail; and there were endless discussions, followed by more drives to the shops, for the old lady was anything but easy to please, vain as she was of her fame as a hostess and afraid of losing it through the least omission.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading Two months had passed like this.
-ing form of “lose” — fail to keep or to maintain; cease to have, either physically or in an abstract sense
From this reading Mrs. Uxeley never went out for this, but occupied herself with every trifling indoor detail; and there were endless discussions, followed by more drives to the shops, for the old lady was anything but easy to please, vain as she was of her fame as a hostess and afraid of losing it through the least omission.
plural of “month” — one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year
From this reading Two months had passed like this.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Mrs. Uxeley never went out for this, but occupied herself with every trifling indoor detail; and there were endless discussions, followed by more drives to the shops, for the old lady was anything but easy to please, vain as she was of her fame as a hostess and afraid of losing it through the least omission.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading It was January; and these were busy days for Cornélie, because Mrs. Uxeley was soon to give one of her celebrated evenings and Cornélie's free hours in the morning were now taken up with running all sorts of errands.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading It was January; and these were busy days for Cornélie, because Mrs. Uxeley was soon to give one of her celebrated evenings and Cornélie's free hours in the morning were now taken up with running all sorts of errands.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading Mrs. Uxeley never went out for this, but occupied herself with every trifling indoor detail; and there were endless discussions, followed by more drives to the shops, for the old lady was anything but easy to please, vain as she was of her fame as a hostess and afraid of losing it through the least omission.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading It was January; and these were busy days for Cornélie, because Mrs. Uxeley was soon to give one of her celebrated evenings and Cornélie's free hours in the morning were now taken up with running all sorts of errands.
held or filled or in use
From this reading Mrs. Uxeley never went out for this, but occupied herself with every trifling indoor detail; and there were endless discussions, followed by more drives to the shops, for the old lady was anything but easy to please, vain as she was of her fame as a hostess and afraid of losing it through the least omission.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It was January; and these were busy days for Cornélie, because Mrs. Uxeley was soon to give one of her celebrated evenings and Cornélie's free hours in the morning were now taken up with running all sorts of errands.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading Mrs. Uxeley never went out for this, but occupied herself with every trifling indoor detail; and there were endless discussions, followed by more drives to the shops, for the old lady was anything but easy to please, vain as she was of her fame as a hostess and afraid of losing it through the least omission.
omissionnounUS /oʊˈmɪʃən/
a mistake resulting from neglect
From this reading Mrs. Uxeley never went out for this, but occupied herself with every trifling indoor detail; and there were endless discussions, followed by more drives to the shops, for the old lady was anything but easy to please, vain as she was of her fame as a hostess and afraid of losing it through the least omission.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading It was January; and these were busy days for Cornélie, because Mrs. Uxeley was soon to give one of her celebrated evenings and Cornélie's free hours in the morning were now taken up with running all sorts of errands.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Mrs. Uxeley never went out for this, but occupied herself with every trifling indoor detail; and there were endless discussions, followed by more drives to the shops, for the old lady was anything but easy to please, vain as she was of her fame as a hostess and afraid of losing it through the least omission.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading Two months had passed like this.
pastry-cooks
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They had to go to upholsterers, to pastry-cooks, to florists and to jewellers, where Cornélie and Urania selected presents for the cotillon.
give pleasure to or be pleasing to
From this reading Mrs. Uxeley never went out for this, but occupied herself with every trifling indoor detail; and there were endless discussions, followed by more drives to the shops, for the old lady was anything but easy to please, vain as she was of her fame as a hostess and afraid of losing it through the least omission.
presentsnounUS /ˈprezənts/
plural of “present” — the period of time that is happening now; any continuous stretch of time including the moment of speech
From this reading They had to go to upholsterers, to pastry-cooks, to florists and to jewellers, where Cornélie and Urania selected presents for the cotillon.
relyverbUS /rɪˈlaɪ/
have faith or confidence in
From this reading Urania generally drove with her; and she came to rely upon Urania.
(of fluids) moving or issuing in a stream
From this reading It was January; and these were busy days for Cornélie, because Mrs. Uxeley was soon to give one of her celebrated evenings and Cornélie's free hours in the morning were now taken up with running all sorts of errands.
selectedadjectiveUS /səˈlektɪd/
chosen in preference to another
From this reading They had to go to upholsterers, to pastry-cooks, to florists and to jewellers, where Cornélie and Urania selected presents for the cotillon.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Urania generally drove with her; and she came to rely upon Urania.
shopsnounUS /ʃɑːps/
plural of “shop” — a mercantile establishment for the retail sale of goods or services
From this reading Mrs. Uxeley never went out for this, but occupied herself with every trifling indoor detail; and there were endless discussions, followed by more drives to the shops, for the old lady was anything but easy to please, vain as she was of her fame as a hostess and afraid of losing it through the least omission.
in the near future
From this reading It was January; and these were busy days for Cornélie, because Mrs. Uxeley was soon to give one of her celebrated evenings and Cornélie's free hours in the morning were now taken up with running all sorts of errands.
plural of “sort” — a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality
From this reading It was January; and these were busy days for Cornélie, because Mrs. Uxeley was soon to give one of her celebrated evenings and Cornélie's free hours in the morning were now taken up with running all sorts of errands.
takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading It was January; and these were busy days for Cornélie, because Mrs. Uxeley was soon to give one of her celebrated evenings and Cornélie's free hours in the morning were now taken up with running all sorts of errands.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It was January; and these were busy days for Cornélie, because Mrs. Uxeley was soon to give one of her celebrated evenings and Cornélie's free hours in the morning were now taken up with running all sorts of errands.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Mrs. Uxeley never went out for this, but occupied herself with every trifling indoor detail; and there were endless discussions, followed by more drives to the shops, for the old lady was anything but easy to please, vain as she was of her fame as a hostess and afraid of losing it through the least omission.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading It was January; and these were busy days for Cornélie, because Mrs. Uxeley was soon to give one of her celebrated evenings and Cornélie's free hours in the morning were now taken up with running all sorts of errands.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They had to go to upholsterers, to pastry-cooks, to florists and to jewellers, where Cornélie and Urania selected presents for the cotillon.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Two months had passed like this.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading Mrs. Uxeley never went out for this, but occupied herself with every trifling indoor detail; and there were endless discussions, followed by more drives to the shops, for the old lady was anything but easy to please, vain as she was of her fame as a hostess and afraid of losing it through the least omission.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It was January; and these were busy days for Cornélie, because Mrs. Uxeley was soon to give one of her celebrated evenings and Cornélie's free hours in the morning were now taken up with running all sorts of errands.
triflingnounUS /ˈtraɪflɪŋ/
the deliberate act of delaying and playing instead of working
From this reading Mrs. Uxeley never went out for this, but occupied herself with every trifling indoor detail; and there were endless discussions, followed by more drives to the shops, for the old lady was anything but easy to please, vain as she was of her fame as a hostess and afraid of losing it through the least omission.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading Two months had passed like this.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading It was January; and these were busy days for Cornélie, because Mrs. Uxeley was soon to give one of her celebrated evenings and Cornélie's free hours in the morning were now taken up with running all sorts of errands.
upholsterers
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They had to go to upholsterers, to pastry-cooks, to florists and to jewellers, where Cornélie and Urania selected presents for the cotillon.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Urania generally drove with her; and she came to rely upon Urania.
Uranianoun
(Greek mythology) the Muse of astronomy
From this reading Urania generally drove with her; and she came to rely upon Urania.
Uxeley
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was January; and these were busy days for Cornélie, because Mrs. Uxeley was soon to give one of her celebrated evenings and Cornélie's free hours in the morning were now taken up with running all sorts of errands.
characteristic of false pride; having an exaggerated sense of self-importance
From this reading Mrs. Uxeley never went out for this, but occupied herself with every trifling indoor detail; and there were endless discussions, followed by more drives to the shops, for the old lady was anything but easy to please, vain as she was of her fame as a hostess and afraid of losing it through the least omission.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was January; and these were busy days for Cornélie, because Mrs. Uxeley was soon to give one of her celebrated evenings and Cornélie's free hours in the morning were now taken up with running all sorts of errands.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Mrs. Uxeley never went out for this, but occupied herself with every trifling indoor detail; and there were endless discussions, followed by more drives to the shops, for the old lady was anything but easy to please, vain as she was of her fame as a hostess and afraid of losing it through the least omission.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading It was January; and these were busy days for Cornélie, because Mrs. Uxeley was soon to give one of her celebrated evenings and Cornélie's free hours in the morning were now taken up with running all sorts of errands.
in or at the place that
From this reading They had to go to upholsterers, to pastry-cooks, to florists and to jewellers, where Cornélie and Urania selected presents for the cotillon.
in the company of; together with
From this reading It was January; and these were busy days for Cornélie, because Mrs. Uxeley was soon to give one of her celebrated evenings and Cornélie's free hours in the morning were now taken up with running all sorts of errands.
