the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading To judge by the soft thud of balls behind the bushes, and the cries that registered the scoring, several sets of tennis were in progress, and as the girls turned the corner of the shrubbery, and came out on to the carriage sweep before the front door, they had an excellent view of the lawn.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading To judge by the soft thud of balls behind the bushes, and the cries that registered the scoring, several sets of tennis were in progress, and as the girls turned the corner of the shrubbery, and came out on to the carriage sweep before the front door, they had an excellent view of the lawn.
outward or visible aspect of a person or thing
From this reading Their sudden appearance, however, stopped the games.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading I say, these are ripping courts!"
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading To judge by the soft thud of balls behind the bushes, and the cries that registered the scoring, several sets of tennis were in progress, and as the girls turned the corner of the shrubbery, and came out on to the carriage sweep before the front door, they had an excellent view of the lawn.
ballsnounUS /bɔːlz/
plural of “ball” — round object that is hit or thrown or kicked in games
From this reading To judge by the soft thud of balls behind the bushes, and the cries that registered the scoring, several sets of tennis were in progress, and as the girls turned the corner of the shrubbery, and came out on to the carriage sweep before the front door, they had an excellent view of the lawn.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading The players had evidently been expecting them, and, running up, greeted them in characteristic schoolgirl fashion.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading To judge by the soft thud of balls behind the bushes, and the cries that registered the scoring, several sets of tennis were in progress, and as the girls turned the corner of the shrubbery, and came out on to the carriage sweep before the front door, they had an excellent view of the lawn.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading To judge by the soft thud of balls behind the bushes, and the cries that registered the scoring, several sets of tennis were in progress, and as the girls turned the corner of the shrubbery, and came out on to the carriage sweep before the front door, they had an excellent view of the lawn.
plural of “bush” — a low woody perennial plant usually having several major stems
From this reading To judge by the soft thud of balls behind the bushes, and the cries that registered the scoring, several sets of tennis were in progress, and as the girls turned the corner of the shrubbery, and came out on to the carriage sweep before the front door, they had an excellent view of the lawn.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading To judge by the soft thud of balls behind the bushes, and the cries that registered the scoring, several sets of tennis were in progress, and as the girls turned the corner of the shrubbery, and came out on to the carriage sweep before the front door, they had an excellent view of the lawn.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading To judge by the soft thud of balls behind the bushes, and the cries that registered the scoring, several sets of tennis were in progress, and as the girls turned the corner of the shrubbery, and came out on to the carriage sweep before the front door, they had an excellent view of the lawn.
a railcar where passengers ride
From this reading To judge by the soft thud of balls behind the bushes, and the cries that registered the scoring, several sets of tennis were in progress, and as the girls turned the corner of the shrubbery, and came out on to the carriage sweep before the front door, they had an excellent view of the lawn.
characteristicnounUS /ˌkerəktərˈɪstɪk/
a prominent attribute or aspect of something
From this reading The players had evidently been expecting them, and, running up, greeted them in characteristic schoolgirl fashion.
a place off to the side of an area
From this reading To judge by the soft thud of balls behind the bushes, and the cries that registered the scoring, several sets of tennis were in progress, and as the girls turned the corner of the shrubbery, and came out on to the carriage sweep before the front door, they had an excellent view of the lawn.
courtsnounUS /kɔːrts/
plural of “court” — an assembly (including one or more judges) to conduct judicial business
From this reading I say, these are ripping courts!"
plural of “cry” — a loud utterance; often in protest or opposition
From this reading To judge by the soft thud of balls behind the bushes, and the cries that registered the scoring, several sets of tennis were in progress, and as the girls turned the corner of the shrubbery, and came out on to the carriage sweep before the front door, they had an excellent view of the lawn.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading To judge by the soft thud of balls behind the bushes, and the cries that registered the scoring, several sets of tennis were in progress, and as the girls turned the corner of the shrubbery, and came out on to the carriage sweep before the front door, they had an excellent view of the lawn.
unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)
From this reading The players had evidently been expecting them, and, running up, greeted them in characteristic schoolgirl fashion.
very good; of the highest quality
From this reading To judge by the soft thud of balls behind the bushes, and the cries that registered the scoring, several sets of tennis were in progress, and as the girls turned the corner of the shrubbery, and came out on to the carriage sweep before the front door, they had an excellent view of the lawn.
-ing form of “expect” — regard something as probable or likely
From this reading The players had evidently been expecting them, and, running up, greeted them in characteristic schoolgirl fashion.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading The players had evidently been expecting them, and, running up, greeted them in characteristic schoolgirl fashion.
the side that is forward or prominent
From this reading To judge by the soft thud of balls behind the bushes, and the cries that registered the scoring, several sets of tennis were in progress, and as the girls turned the corner of the shrubbery, and came out on to the carriage sweep before the front door, they had an excellent view of the lawn.
gamesnounUS /ɡeɪmz/
plural of “game” — a contest with rules to determine a winner
From this reading Their sudden appearance, however, stopped the games.
plural of “girl” — a young female
From this reading To judge by the soft thud of balls behind the bushes, and the cries that registered the scoring, several sets of tennis were in progress, and as the girls turned the corner of the shrubbery, and came out on to the carriage sweep before the front door, they had an excellent view of the lawn.
past form of “greet” — express greetings upon meeting someone
From this reading The players had evidently been expecting them, and, running up, greeted them in characteristic schoolgirl fashion.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading To judge by the soft thud of balls behind the bushes, and the cries that registered the scoring, several sets of tennis were in progress, and as the girls turned the corner of the shrubbery, and came out on to the carriage sweep before the front door, they had an excellent view of the lawn.
HellonounUS /həˈloʊ/
an expression of greeting
From this reading "Hello!
used to add a contrasting statement
From this reading Their sudden appearance, however, stopped the games.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I say, these are ripping courts!"
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading To judge by the soft thud of balls behind the bushes, and the cries that registered the scoring, several sets of tennis were in progress, and as the girls turned the corner of the shrubbery, and came out on to the carriage sweep before the front door, they had an excellent view of the lawn.
determine the result of (a competition)
From this reading To judge by the soft thud of balls behind the bushes, and the cries that registered the scoring, several sets of tennis were in progress, and as the girls turned the corner of the shrubbery, and came out on to the carriage sweep before the front door, they had an excellent view of the lawn.
lawnnounUS /lɔːn/
a field of cultivated and mowed grass
From this reading To judge by the soft thud of balls behind the bushes, and the cries that registered the scoring, several sets of tennis were in progress, and as the girls turned the corner of the shrubbery, and came out on to the carriage sweep before the front door, they had an excellent view of the lawn.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading To judge by the soft thud of balls behind the bushes, and the cries that registered the scoring, several sets of tennis were in progress, and as the girls turned the corner of the shrubbery, and came out on to the carriage sweep before the front door, they had an excellent view of the lawn.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading To judge by the soft thud of balls behind the bushes, and the cries that registered the scoring, several sets of tennis were in progress, and as the girls turned the corner of the shrubbery, and came out on to the carriage sweep before the front door, they had an excellent view of the lawn.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading To judge by the soft thud of balls behind the bushes, and the cries that registered the scoring, several sets of tennis were in progress, and as the girls turned the corner of the shrubbery, and came out on to the carriage sweep before the front door, they had an excellent view of the lawn.
playersnounUS /ˈpleɪərz/
plural of “player” — a person who participates in or is skilled at some game
From this reading The players had evidently been expecting them, and, running up, greeted them in characteristic schoolgirl fashion.
gradual improvement or growth or development
From this reading To judge by the soft thud of balls behind the bushes, and the cries that registered the scoring, several sets of tennis were in progress, and as the girls turned the corner of the shrubbery, and came out on to the carriage sweep before the front door, they had an excellent view of the lawn.
registeredadjectiveUS /ˈredʒɪstərd/
(of animals) officially recorded with or certified by a recognized breed association; especially in a stud book
From this reading To judge by the soft thud of balls behind the bushes, and the cries that registered the scoring, several sets of tennis were in progress, and as the girls turned the corner of the shrubbery, and came out on to the carriage sweep before the front door, they had an excellent view of the lawn.
rippingadjectiveUS /ˈrɪpɪŋ/
resembling a sound of violent tearing as of something ripped apart or lightning splitting a tree
From this reading I say, these are ripping courts!"
(of fluids) moving or issuing in a stream
From this reading The players had evidently been expecting them, and, running up, greeted them in characteristic schoolgirl fashion.
express in words
From this reading I say, these are ripping courts!"
schoolgirlnounUS /ˈskuːlɡɜːrl/
a girl attending school
From this reading The players had evidently been expecting them, and, running up, greeted them in characteristic schoolgirl fashion.
scoringnounUS /ˈskɔːrɪŋ/
evaluation of performance by assigning a grade or score
From this reading To judge by the soft thud of balls behind the bushes, and the cries that registered the scoring, several sets of tennis were in progress, and as the girls turned the corner of the shrubbery, and came out on to the carriage sweep before the front door, they had an excellent view of the lawn.
setsnounUS /sets/
plural of “set” — a group of things of the same kind that belong together and are so used
From this reading To judge by the soft thud of balls behind the bushes, and the cries that registered the scoring, several sets of tennis were in progress, and as the girls turned the corner of the shrubbery, and came out on to the carriage sweep before the front door, they had an excellent view of the lawn.
(used with count nouns) of an indefinite number more than 2 or 3 but not many
From this reading To judge by the soft thud of balls behind the bushes, and the cries that registered the scoring, several sets of tennis were in progress, and as the girls turned the corner of the shrubbery, and came out on to the carriage sweep before the front door, they had an excellent view of the lawn.
shrubberynounUS /ˈʃrʌbəri/
an area where a number of shrubs are planted
From this reading To judge by the soft thud of balls behind the bushes, and the cries that registered the scoring, several sets of tennis were in progress, and as the girls turned the corner of the shrubbery, and came out on to the carriage sweep before the front door, they had an excellent view of the lawn.
yielding readily to pressure or weight
From this reading To judge by the soft thud of balls behind the bushes, and the cries that registered the scoring, several sets of tennis were in progress, and as the girls turned the corner of the shrubbery, and came out on to the carriage sweep before the front door, they had an excellent view of the lawn.
(of a nose) blocked
From this reading Their sudden appearance, however, stopped the games.
happening without warning or in a short space of time
From this reading Their sudden appearance, however, stopped the games.
sweepverbUS /swiːp/
sweep across or over
From this reading To judge by the soft thud of balls behind the bushes, and the cries that registered the scoring, several sets of tennis were in progress, and as the girls turned the corner of the shrubbery, and came out on to the carriage sweep before the front door, they had an excellent view of the lawn.
tennisnounUS /ˈtenəs/
a game played with rackets by two or four players who hit a ball back and forth over a net that divides the court
From this reading To judge by the soft thud of balls behind the bushes, and the cries that registered the scoring, several sets of tennis were in progress, and as the girls turned the corner of the shrubbery, and came out on to the carriage sweep before the front door, they had an excellent view of the lawn.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading To judge by the soft thud of balls behind the bushes, and the cries that registered the scoring, several sets of tennis were in progress, and as the girls turned the corner of the shrubbery, and came out on to the carriage sweep before the front door, they had an excellent view of the lawn.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading To judge by the soft thud of balls behind the bushes, and the cries that registered the scoring, several sets of tennis were in progress, and as the girls turned the corner of the shrubbery, and came out on to the carriage sweep before the front door, they had an excellent view of the lawn.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Their sudden appearance, however, stopped the games.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading The players had evidently been expecting them, and, running up, greeted them in characteristic schoolgirl fashion.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading I say, these are ripping courts!"
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading To judge by the soft thud of balls behind the bushes, and the cries that registered the scoring, several sets of tennis were in progress, and as the girls turned the corner of the shrubbery, and came out on to the carriage sweep before the front door, they had an excellent view of the lawn.
thudverbUS /θʌd/
make a dull sound
From this reading To judge by the soft thud of balls behind the bushes, and the cries that registered the scoring, several sets of tennis were in progress, and as the girls turned the corner of the shrubbery, and came out on to the carriage sweep before the front door, they had an excellent view of the lawn.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading To judge by the soft thud of balls behind the bushes, and the cries that registered the scoring, several sets of tennis were in progress, and as the girls turned the corner of the shrubbery, and came out on to the carriage sweep before the front door, they had an excellent view of the lawn.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading To judge by the soft thud of balls behind the bushes, and the cries that registered the scoring, several sets of tennis were in progress, and as the girls turned the corner of the shrubbery, and came out on to the carriage sweep before the front door, they had an excellent view of the lawn.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading The players had evidently been expecting them, and, running up, greeted them in characteristic schoolgirl fashion.
a way of regarding situations or topics etc.
From this reading To judge by the soft thud of balls behind the bushes, and the cries that registered the scoring, several sets of tennis were in progress, and as the girls turned the corner of the shrubbery, and came out on to the carriage sweep before the front door, they had an excellent view of the lawn.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading To judge by the soft thud of balls behind the bushes, and the cries that registered the scoring, several sets of tennis were in progress, and as the girls turned the corner of the shrubbery, and came out on to the carriage sweep before the front door, they had an excellent view of the lawn.
