adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The landlady, Madame Lemercier, left me alone in my room, after a short speech impressing upon me all the material and moral advantages of the Lemercier boarding-house.
advantagesnounUS /ædˈvæntɪdʒɪz/
plural of “advantage” — the quality of having a superior or more favorable position
From this reading The landlady, Madame Lemercier, left me alone in my room, after a short speech impressing upon me all the material and moral advantages of the Lemercier boarding-house.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading The landlady, Madame Lemercier, left me alone in my room, after a short speech impressing upon me all the material and moral advantages of the Lemercier boarding-house.
alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/
(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 The landlady, Madame Lemercier, left me alone in my room, after a short speech impressing upon me all the material and moral advantages of the Lemercier boarding-house.
aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/
Having no one else present.
From this reading The landlady, Madame Lemercier, left me alone in my room, after a short speech impressing upon me all the material and moral advantages of the Lemercier boarding-house.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading I saw two chairs, one of which held my valise, two narrow-backed armchairs with smeary upholstery, a table with a piece of green felt set into the top, and an oriental carpet with an arabesque pattern that fairly leaped to the eye.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The landlady, Madame Lemercier, left me alone in my room, after a short speech impressing upon me all the material and moral advantages of the Lemercier boarding-house.
arabesquenoun
position in which the dancer has one leg raised behind and arms outstretched in a conventional pose
From this reading I saw two chairs, one of which held my valise, two narrow-backed armchairs with smeary upholstery, a table with a piece of green felt set into the top, and an oriental carpet with an arabesque pattern that fairly leaped to the eye.
armchairsnounUS /ˈɑːrmtʃerz/
plural of “armchair” — chair with a support on each side for arms
From this reading I saw two chairs, one of which held my valise, two narrow-backed armchairs with smeary upholstery, a table with a piece of green felt set into the top, and an oriental carpet with an arabesque pattern that fairly leaped to the eye.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading I looked round the room and then at myself.
boarding-house
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The landlady, Madame Lemercier, left me alone in my room, after a short speech impressing upon me all the material and moral advantages of the Lemercier boarding-house.
carpetnounUS /ˈkɑːrpət/
floor covering consisting of a piece of thick heavy fabric (usually with nap or pile)
From this reading I saw two chairs, one of which held my valise, two narrow-backed armchairs with smeary upholstery, a table with a piece of green felt set into the top, and an oriental carpet with an arabesque pattern that fairly leaped to the eye.
chairsnounUS /tʃerz/
plural of “chair” — a seat for one person, with a support for the back
From this reading I saw two chairs, one of which held my valise, two narrow-backed armchairs with smeary upholstery, a table with a piece of green felt set into the top, and an oriental carpet with an arabesque pattern that fairly leaped to the eye.
dustyadjectiveUS /ˈdʌsti/
covered with a layer of dust
From this reading The room was grey and had a dusty smell.
eyenounUS /aɪ/
the organ of sight
From this reading I saw two chairs, one of which held my valise, two narrow-backed armchairs with smeary upholstery, a table with a piece of green felt set into the top, and an oriental carpet with an arabesque pattern that fairly leaped to the eye.
fairlyadverbUS /ˈferli/
to certain extent or degree
From this reading I saw two chairs, one of which held my valise, two narrow-backed armchairs with smeary upholstery, a table with a piece of green felt set into the top, and an oriental carpet with an arabesque pattern that fairly leaped to the eye.
feltverbUS /felt/
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading I saw two chairs, one of which held my valise, two narrow-backed armchairs with smeary upholstery, a table with a piece of green felt set into the top, and an oriental carpet with an arabesque pattern that fairly leaped to the eye.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading I stopped in front of the glass, in the middle of the room in which I was going to live for a while.
frontnounUS /frʌnt/
the side that is forward or prominent
From this reading I stopped in front of the glass, in the middle of the room in which I was going to live for a while.
glassnounUS /ɡlæs/
a brittle transparent solid with irregular atomic structure
From this reading I stopped in front of the glass, in the middle of the room in which I was going to live for a while.
goingnounUS /ˈɡoʊɪŋ/
the act of departing
From this reading I stopped in front of the glass, in the middle of the room in which I was going to live for a while.
greennounUS /ɡriːn/
green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass
From this reading I saw two chairs, one of which held my valise, two narrow-backed armchairs with smeary upholstery, a table with a piece of green felt set into the top, and an oriental carpet with an arabesque pattern that fairly leaped to the eye.
greyadjectiveUS /ɡreɪ/
of an achromatic color of any lightness intermediate between the extremes of white and black
From this reading The room was grey and had a dusty smell.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The room was grey and had a dusty smell.
heldadjectiveUS /held/
occupied or in the control of; often used in combination
From this reading I saw two chairs, one of which held my valise, two narrow-backed armchairs with smeary upholstery, a table with a piece of green felt set into the top, and an oriental carpet with an arabesque pattern that fairly leaped to the eye.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I stopped in front of the glass, in the middle of the room in which I was going to live for a while.
impressingverbUS /ˌɪmˈpresɪŋ/
-ing form of “impress” — have an emotional or cognitive impact upon
From this reading The landlady, Madame Lemercier, left me alone in my room, after a short speech impressing upon me all the material and moral advantages of the Lemercier boarding-house.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The landlady, Madame Lemercier, left me alone in my room, after a short speech impressing upon me all the material and moral advantages of the Lemercier boarding-house.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading I saw two chairs, one of which held my valise, two narrow-backed armchairs with smeary upholstery, a table with a piece of green felt set into the top, and an oriental carpet with an arabesque pattern that fairly leaped to the eye.
landladynounUS /ˈlændleɪdi/
a landlord who is a woman
From this reading The landlady, Madame Lemercier, left me alone in my room, after a short speech impressing upon me all the material and moral advantages of the Lemercier boarding-house.
leapedverbUS /lept/
past form of “leap” — move forward by leaps and bounds
From this reading I saw two chairs, one of which held my valise, two narrow-backed armchairs with smeary upholstery, a table with a piece of green felt set into the top, and an oriental carpet with an arabesque pattern that fairly leaped to the eye.
leftnounUS /left/
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading The landlady, Madame Lemercier, left me alone in my room, after a short speech impressing upon me all the material and moral advantages of the Lemercier boarding-house.
Lemercier
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The landlady, Madame Lemercier, left me alone in my room, after a short speech impressing upon me all the material and moral advantages of the Lemercier boarding-house.
liveverbUS /laɪv/
be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading I stopped in front of the glass, in the middle of the room in which I was going to live for a while.
lookedverbUS /lʊkt/
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading I looked round the room and then at myself.
MadamenounUS /ˈmædəm/
title used for a married Frenchwoman
From this reading The landlady, Madame Lemercier, left me alone in my room, after a short speech impressing upon me all the material and moral advantages of the Lemercier boarding-house.
materialadjectiveUS /məˈtɪriəl/
concerned with worldly rather than spiritual interests
From this reading The landlady, Madame Lemercier, left me alone in my room, after a short speech impressing upon me all the material and moral advantages of the Lemercier boarding-house.
mepronounUS /miː/
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The landlady, Madame Lemercier, left me alone in my room, after a short speech impressing upon me all the material and moral advantages of the Lemercier boarding-house.
middlenounUS /ˈmɪdəl/
an area that is approximately central within some larger region
From this reading I stopped in front of the glass, in the middle of the room in which I was going to live for a while.
moraladjectiveUS /ˈmɔːrəl/
concerned with principles of right and wrong or conforming to standards of behavior and character based on those principles
From this reading The landlady, Madame Lemercier, left me alone in my room, after a short speech impressing upon me all the material and moral advantages of the Lemercier boarding-house.
mydeterminerUS /maɪ/
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading The landlady, Madame Lemercier, left me alone in my room, after a short speech impressing upon me all the material and moral advantages of the Lemercier boarding-house.
myselfpronounUS /ˌmaɪˈself/
used when the speaker is also the object of the action
From this reading I looked round the room and then at myself.
narrow-backed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I saw two chairs, one of which held my valise, two narrow-backed armchairs with smeary upholstery, a table with a piece of green felt set into the top, and an oriental carpet with an arabesque pattern that fairly leaped to the eye.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The landlady, Madame Lemercier, left me alone in my room, after a short speech impressing upon me all the material and moral advantages of the Lemercier boarding-house.
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading I saw two chairs, one of which held my valise, two narrow-backed armchairs with smeary upholstery, a table with a piece of green felt set into the top, and an oriental carpet with an arabesque pattern that fairly leaped to the eye.
orientaladjectiveUS /ˌɔːriˈentəl/
denoting or characteristic of countries of the Far East
From this reading I saw two chairs, one of which held my valise, two narrow-backed armchairs with smeary upholstery, a table with a piece of green felt set into the top, and an oriental carpet with an arabesque pattern that fairly leaped to the eye.
patternnounUS /ˈpætərn/
a perceptual structure
From this reading I saw two chairs, one of which held my valise, two narrow-backed armchairs with smeary upholstery, a table with a piece of green felt set into the top, and an oriental carpet with an arabesque pattern that fairly leaped to the eye.
piecenounUS /piːs/
a separate part of a whole
From this reading I saw two chairs, one of which held my valise, two narrow-backed armchairs with smeary upholstery, a table with a piece of green felt set into the top, and an oriental carpet with an arabesque pattern that fairly leaped to the eye.
roomnounUS /ruːm/
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading The landlady, Madame Lemercier, left me alone in my room, after a short speech impressing upon me all the material and moral advantages of the Lemercier boarding-house.
roundnounUS /raʊnd/
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading I looked round the room and then at myself.
sawverbUS /sɔː/
cut with a saw
From this reading I saw two chairs, one of which held my valise, two narrow-backed armchairs with smeary upholstery, a table with a piece of green felt set into the top, and an oriental carpet with an arabesque pattern that fairly leaped to the eye.
setverbUS /set/
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading I saw two chairs, one of which held my valise, two narrow-backed armchairs with smeary upholstery, a table with a piece of green felt set into the top, and an oriental carpet with an arabesque pattern that fairly leaped to the eye.
shortadjectiveUS /ʃɔːrt/
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading The landlady, Madame Lemercier, left me alone in my room, after a short speech impressing upon me all the material and moral advantages of the Lemercier boarding-house.
smeary
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I saw two chairs, one of which held my valise, two narrow-backed armchairs with smeary upholstery, a table with a piece of green felt set into the top, and an oriental carpet with an arabesque pattern that fairly leaped to the eye.
smellnounUS /smel/
the sensation that results when olfactory receptors in the nose are stimulated by particular chemicals in gaseous form
From this reading The room was grey and had a dusty smell.
speechnounUS /spiːtʃ/
the act of delivering a formal spoken communication to an audience
From this reading The landlady, Madame Lemercier, left me alone in my room, after a short speech impressing upon me all the material and moral advantages of the Lemercier boarding-house.
stoppedadjectiveUS /stɑːpt/
(of a nose) blocked
From this reading I stopped in front of the glass, in the middle of the room in which I was going to live for a while.
tablenounUS /ˈteɪbəl/
a set of data arranged in rows and columns
From this reading I saw two chairs, one of which held my valise, two narrow-backed armchairs with smeary upholstery, a table with a piece of green felt set into the top, and an oriental carpet with an arabesque pattern that fairly leaped to the eye.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading I saw two chairs, one of which held my valise, two narrow-backed armchairs with smeary upholstery, a table with a piece of green felt set into the top, and an oriental carpet with an arabesque pattern that fairly leaped to the eye.
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The landlady, Madame Lemercier, left me alone in my room, after a short speech impressing upon me all the material and moral advantages of the Lemercier boarding-house.
thenadverbUS /ðen/
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading I looked round the room and then at myself.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I stopped in front of the glass, in the middle of the room in which I was going to live for a while.
topnounUS /tɑːp/
the upper part of anything
From this reading I saw two chairs, one of which held my valise, two narrow-backed armchairs with smeary upholstery, a table with a piece of green felt set into the top, and an oriental carpet with an arabesque pattern that fairly leaped to the eye.
twonounUS /tuː/
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading I saw two chairs, one of which held my valise, two narrow-backed armchairs with smeary upholstery, a table with a piece of green felt set into the top, and an oriental carpet with an arabesque pattern that fairly leaped to the eye.
upholsterynounUS /əˈpoʊlstəri/
covering (padding and springs and webbing and fabric) on a piece of furniture
From this reading I saw two chairs, one of which held my valise, two narrow-backed armchairs with smeary upholstery, a table with a piece of green felt set into the top, and an oriental carpet with an arabesque pattern that fairly leaped to the eye.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading The landlady, Madame Lemercier, left me alone in my room, after a short speech impressing upon me all the material and moral advantages of the Lemercier boarding-house.
valisenoun
a small overnight bag for short trips
From this reading I saw two chairs, one of which held my valise, two narrow-backed armchairs with smeary upholstery, a table with a piece of green felt set into the top, and an oriental carpet with an arabesque pattern that fairly leaped to the eye.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I stopped in front of the glass, in the middle of the room in which I was going to live for a while.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading I stopped in front of the glass, in the middle of the room in which I was going to live for a while.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading I stopped in front of the glass, in the middle of the room in which I was going to live for a while.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading I saw two chairs, one of which held my valise, two narrow-backed armchairs with smeary upholstery, a table with a piece of green felt set into the top, and an oriental carpet with an arabesque pattern that fairly leaped to the eye.
