used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The housekeeper, who had quietly dozed away half her life in two rooms in a corner of the house, now bestirred herself joyfully to open shutters, kindle fires, see to the sweeping and scrubbing, keep her eye upon painters and charwomen, and make ready store of pickles and preserves for the adornment of her pantry shelves.
personal knowledge or information about someone or something
From this reading This good woman was an old acquaintance of our two girls, their long walks often leading them across the moor, and through the grounds to the Hall.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading This good woman was an old acquaintance of our two girls, their long walks often leading them across the moor, and through the grounds to the Hall.
adornmentnounUS /əˈdɔːrnmənt/
a decoration of color or interest that is added to relieve plainness
From this reading The housekeeper, who had quietly dozed away half her life in two rooms in a corner of the house, now bestirred herself joyfully to open shutters, kindle fires, see to the sweeping and scrubbing, keep her eye upon painters and charwomen, and make ready store of pickles and preserves for the adornment of her pantry shelves.
alterationsnounUS /ˌɔːltərˈeɪʃənz/
plural of “alteration” — an event that occurs when something passes from one state or phase to another
From this reading John had been requested to oversee the arrangements, for the place had been unoccupied for years, and there were many alterations to be made, and much new furnishing to be done.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading This good woman was an old acquaintance of our two girls, their long walks often leading them across the moor, and through the grounds to the Hall.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Christmas was drawing near, and workmen were busy setting the old Hall to rights for the reception of Mr. Hill and his family.
arrangementsnounUS /ərˈeɪndʒmənts/
plural of “arrangement” — the thing arranged or agreed to
From this reading John had been requested to oversee the arrangements, for the place had been unoccupied for years, and there were many alterations to be made, and much new furnishing to be done.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading The housekeeper, who had quietly dozed away half her life in two rooms in a corner of the house, now bestirred herself joyfully to open shutters, kindle fires, see to the sweeping and scrubbing, keep her eye upon painters and charwomen, and make ready store of pickles and preserves for the adornment of her pantry shelves.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading John had been requested to oversee the arrangements, for the place had been unoccupied for years, and there were many alterations to be made, and much new furnishing to be done.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading John had been requested to oversee the arrangements, for the place had been unoccupied for years, and there were many alterations to be made, and much new furnishing to be done.
bestirred
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The housekeeper, who had quietly dozed away half her life in two rooms in a corner of the house, now bestirred herself joyfully to open shutters, kindle fires, see to the sweeping and scrubbing, keep her eye upon painters and charwomen, and make ready store of pickles and preserves for the adornment of her pantry shelves.
actively or fully engaged or occupied
From this reading Christmas was drawing near, and workmen were busy setting the old Hall to rights for the reception of Mr. Hill and his family.
charwomennounUS /ˈtʃɑːrwɪmən/
plural of “charwoman” — a human female employed to do housework
From this reading The housekeeper, who had quietly dozed away half her life in two rooms in a corner of the house, now bestirred herself joyfully to open shutters, kindle fires, see to the sweeping and scrubbing, keep her eye upon painters and charwomen, and make ready store of pickles and preserves for the adornment of her pantry shelves.
period extending from Dec. 24 to Jan. 6
From this reading Christmas was drawing near, and workmen were busy setting the old Hall to rights for the reception of Mr. Hill and his family.
a place off to the side of an area
From this reading The housekeeper, who had quietly dozed away half her life in two rooms in a corner of the house, now bestirred herself joyfully to open shutters, kindle fires, see to the sweeping and scrubbing, keep her eye upon painters and charwomen, and make ready store of pickles and preserves for the adornment of her pantry shelves.
deepenedverbUS /ˈdiːpənd/
past form of “deepen” — make more intense, stronger, or more marked
From this reading The winter deepened.
having finished or arrived at completion
From this reading John had been requested to oversee the arrangements, for the place had been unoccupied for years, and there were many alterations to be made, and much new furnishing to be done.
dozedverbUS /doʊzd/
past form of “doze” — sleep lightly or for a short period of time
From this reading The housekeeper, who had quietly dozed away half her life in two rooms in a corner of the house, now bestirred herself joyfully to open shutters, kindle fires, see to the sweeping and scrubbing, keep her eye upon painters and charwomen, and make ready store of pickles and preserves for the adornment of her pantry shelves.
an illustration that is drawn by hand and published in a book, magazine, or newspaper
From this reading Christmas was drawing near, and workmen were busy setting the old Hall to rights for the reception of Mr. Hill and his family.
the organ of sight
From this reading The housekeeper, who had quietly dozed away half her life in two rooms in a corner of the house, now bestirred herself joyfully to open shutters, kindle fires, see to the sweeping and scrubbing, keep her eye upon painters and charwomen, and make ready store of pickles and preserves for the adornment of her pantry shelves.
a social unit living together
From this reading Christmas was drawing near, and workmen were busy setting the old Hall to rights for the reception of Mr. Hill and his family.
firesnounUS /ˈfaɪərz/
plural of “fire” — the event of something burning (often destructive)
From this reading The housekeeper, who had quietly dozed away half her life in two rooms in a corner of the house, now bestirred herself joyfully to open shutters, kindle fires, see to the sweeping and scrubbing, keep her eye upon painters and charwomen, and make ready store of pickles and preserves for the adornment of her pantry shelves.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Christmas was drawing near, and workmen were busy setting the old Hall to rights for the reception of Mr. Hill and his family.
furnishingnounUS /ˈfɜːrnɪʃɪŋ/
(usually plural) accessory wearing apparel
From this reading John had been requested to oversee the arrangements, for the place had been unoccupied for years, and there were many alterations to be made, and much new furnishing to be done.
plural of “girl” — a young female
From this reading This good woman was an old acquaintance of our two girls, their long walks often leading them across the moor, and through the grounds to the Hall.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading This good woman was an old acquaintance of our two girls, their long walks often leading them across the moor, and through the grounds to the Hall.
groundsnounUS /ɡraʊndz/
your basis for belief or disbelief; knowledge on which to base belief
From this reading This good woman was an old acquaintance of our two girls, their long walks often leading them across the moor, and through the grounds to the Hall.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading John had been requested to oversee the arrangements, for the place had been unoccupied for years, and there were many alterations to be made, and much new furnishing to be done.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading The housekeeper, who had quietly dozed away half her life in two rooms in a corner of the house, now bestirred herself joyfully to open shutters, kindle fires, see to the sweeping and scrubbing, keep her eye upon painters and charwomen, and make ready store of pickles and preserves for the adornment of her pantry shelves.
an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open
From this reading Christmas was drawing near, and workmen were busy setting the old Hall to rights for the reception of Mr. Hill and his family.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading The housekeeper, who had quietly dozed away half her life in two rooms in a corner of the house, now bestirred herself joyfully to open shutters, kindle fires, see to the sweeping and scrubbing, keep her eye upon painters and charwomen, and make ready store of pickles and preserves for the adornment of her pantry shelves.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading The housekeeper, who had quietly dozed away half her life in two rooms in a corner of the house, now bestirred herself joyfully to open shutters, kindle fires, see to the sweeping and scrubbing, keep her eye upon painters and charwomen, and make ready store of pickles and preserves for the adornment of her pantry shelves.
a local and well-defined elevation of the land
From this reading Christmas was drawing near, and workmen were busy setting the old Hall to rights for the reception of Mr. Hill and his family.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Christmas was drawing near, and workmen were busy setting the old Hall to rights for the reception of Mr. Hill and his family.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading The housekeeper, who had quietly dozed away half her life in two rooms in a corner of the house, now bestirred herself joyfully to open shutters, kindle fires, see to the sweeping and scrubbing, keep her eye upon painters and charwomen, and make ready store of pickles and preserves for the adornment of her pantry shelves.
housekeepernounUS /ˈhaʊskiːpər/
a servant who is employed to perform domestic task in a household
From this reading The housekeeper, who had quietly dozed away half her life in two rooms in a corner of the house, now bestirred herself joyfully to open shutters, kindle fires, see to the sweeping and scrubbing, keep her eye upon painters and charwomen, and make ready store of pickles and preserves for the adornment of her pantry shelves.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The housekeeper, who had quietly dozed away half her life in two rooms in a corner of the house, now bestirred herself joyfully to open shutters, kindle fires, see to the sweeping and scrubbing, keep her eye upon painters and charwomen, and make ready store of pickles and preserves for the adornment of her pantry shelves.
a room or building equipped with one or more toilets
From this reading John had been requested to oversee the arrangements, for the place had been unoccupied for years, and there were many alterations to be made, and much new furnishing to be done.
joyfullyadverbUS /ˈdʒɔɪfəli/
in a joyous and gleeful manner
From this reading The housekeeper, who had quietly dozed away half her life in two rooms in a corner of the house, now bestirred herself joyfully to open shutters, kindle fires, see to the sweeping and scrubbing, keep her eye upon painters and charwomen, and make ready store of pickles and preserves for the adornment of her pantry shelves.
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading The housekeeper, who had quietly dozed away half her life in two rooms in a corner of the house, now bestirred herself joyfully to open shutters, kindle fires, see to the sweeping and scrubbing, keep her eye upon painters and charwomen, and make ready store of pickles and preserves for the adornment of her pantry shelves.
kindleverbUS /ˈkɪndəl/
catch fire
From this reading The housekeeper, who had quietly dozed away half her life in two rooms in a corner of the house, now bestirred herself joyfully to open shutters, kindle fires, see to the sweeping and scrubbing, keep her eye upon painters and charwomen, and make ready store of pickles and preserves for the adornment of her pantry shelves.
indicating the most important performer or role
From this reading This good woman was an old acquaintance of our two girls, their long walks often leading them across the moor, and through the grounds to the Hall.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading The housekeeper, who had quietly dozed away half her life in two rooms in a corner of the house, now bestirred herself joyfully to open shutters, kindle fires, see to the sweeping and scrubbing, keep her eye upon painters and charwomen, and make ready store of pickles and preserves for the adornment of her pantry shelves.
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 This good woman was an old acquaintance of our two girls, their long walks often leading them across the moor, and through the grounds to the Hall.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading John had been requested to oversee the arrangements, for the place had been unoccupied for years, and there were many alterations to be made, and much new furnishing to be done.
engage in
From this reading The housekeeper, who had quietly dozed away half her life in two rooms in a corner of the house, now bestirred herself joyfully to open shutters, kindle fires, see to the sweeping and scrubbing, keep her eye upon painters and charwomen, and make ready store of pickles and preserves for the adornment of her pantry shelves.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading John had been requested to oversee the arrangements, for the place had been unoccupied for years, and there were many alterations to be made, and much new furnishing to be done.
moorverbUS /mʊr/
secure in or as if in a berth or dock
From this reading This good woman was an old acquaintance of our two girls, their long walks often leading them across the moor, and through the grounds to the Hall.
a form of address for a man
From this reading Christmas was drawing near, and workmen were busy setting the old Hall to rights for the reception of Mr. Hill and his family.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading John had been requested to oversee the arrangements, for the place had been unoccupied for years, and there were many alterations to be made, and much new furnishing to be done.
near in time or place or relationship
From this reading Christmas was drawing near, and workmen were busy setting the old Hall to rights for the reception of Mr. Hill and his family.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading John had been requested to oversee the arrangements, for the place had been unoccupied for years, and there were many alterations to be made, and much new furnishing to be done.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading The housekeeper, who had quietly dozed away half her life in two rooms in a corner of the house, now bestirred herself joyfully to open shutters, kindle fires, see to the sweeping and scrubbing, keep her eye upon painters and charwomen, and make ready store of pickles and preserves for the adornment of her pantry shelves.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Christmas was drawing near, and workmen were busy setting the old Hall to rights for the reception of Mr. Hill and his family.
many times at short intervals
From this reading This good woman was an old acquaintance of our two girls, their long walks often leading them across the moor, and through the grounds to the Hall.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading Christmas was drawing near, and workmen were busy setting the old Hall to rights for the reception of Mr. Hill and his family.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading The housekeeper, who had quietly dozed away half her life in two rooms in a corner of the house, now bestirred herself joyfully to open shutters, kindle fires, see to the sweeping and scrubbing, keep her eye upon painters and charwomen, and make ready store of pickles and preserves for the adornment of her pantry shelves.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading This good woman was an old acquaintance of our two girls, their long walks often leading them across the moor, and through the grounds to the Hall.
overseeverbUS /ˈoʊvərsiː/
watch and direct
From this reading John had been requested to oversee the arrangements, for the place had been unoccupied for years, and there were many alterations to be made, and much new furnishing to be done.
paintersnounUS /ˈpeɪntərz/
plural of “painter” — an artist who paints
From this reading The housekeeper, who had quietly dozed away half her life in two rooms in a corner of the house, now bestirred herself joyfully to open shutters, kindle fires, see to the sweeping and scrubbing, keep her eye upon painters and charwomen, and make ready store of pickles and preserves for the adornment of her pantry shelves.
pantrynounUS /ˈpæntri/
a small storeroom for storing foods or wines
From this reading The housekeeper, who had quietly dozed away half her life in two rooms in a corner of the house, now bestirred herself joyfully to open shutters, kindle fires, see to the sweeping and scrubbing, keep her eye upon painters and charwomen, and make ready store of pickles and preserves for the adornment of her pantry shelves.
picklesnounUS /ˈpɪkəlz/
plural of “pickle” — vegetables (especially cucumbers) preserved in brine or vinegar
From this reading The housekeeper, who had quietly dozed away half her life in two rooms in a corner of the house, now bestirred herself joyfully to open shutters, kindle fires, see to the sweeping and scrubbing, keep her eye upon painters and charwomen, and make ready store of pickles and preserves for the adornment of her pantry shelves.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading John had been requested to oversee the arrangements, for the place had been unoccupied for years, and there were many alterations to be made, and much new furnishing to be done.
preservesnounUS /prəˈzɜːrvz/
fruit preserved by cooking with sugar
From this reading The housekeeper, who had quietly dozed away half her life in two rooms in a corner of the house, now bestirred herself joyfully to open shutters, kindle fires, see to the sweeping and scrubbing, keep her eye upon painters and charwomen, and make ready store of pickles and preserves for the adornment of her pantry shelves.
with low volume
From this reading The housekeeper, who had quietly dozed away half her life in two rooms in a corner of the house, now bestirred herself joyfully to open shutters, kindle fires, see to the sweeping and scrubbing, keep her eye upon painters and charwomen, and make ready store of pickles and preserves for the adornment of her pantry shelves.
completely prepared or in condition for immediate action or use or progress
From this reading The housekeeper, who had quietly dozed away half her life in two rooms in a corner of the house, now bestirred herself joyfully to open shutters, kindle fires, see to the sweeping and scrubbing, keep her eye upon painters and charwomen, and make ready store of pickles and preserves for the adornment of her pantry shelves.
receptionnounUS /rɪˈsepʃən/
the manner in which something is greeted
From this reading Christmas was drawing near, and workmen were busy setting the old Hall to rights for the reception of Mr. Hill and his family.
requestedadjectiveUS /rɪˈkwestɪd/
asked for
From this reading John had been requested to oversee the arrangements, for the place had been unoccupied for years, and there were many alterations to be made, and much new furnishing to be done.
plural of “right” — an abstract idea of that which is due to a person or governmental body by law or tradition or nature
From this reading Christmas was drawing near, and workmen were busy setting the old Hall to rights for the reception of Mr. Hill and his family.
apartment consisting of a series of connected rooms used as a living unit (as in a hotel)
From this reading The housekeeper, who had quietly dozed away half her life in two rooms in a corner of the house, now bestirred herself joyfully to open shutters, kindle fires, see to the sweeping and scrubbing, keep her eye upon painters and charwomen, and make ready store of pickles and preserves for the adornment of her pantry shelves.
scrubbingnounUS /ˈskrʌbɪŋ/
the act of cleaning a surface by rubbing it with a brush and soap and water
From this reading The housekeeper, who had quietly dozed away half her life in two rooms in a corner of the house, now bestirred herself joyfully to open shutters, kindle fires, see to the sweeping and scrubbing, keep her eye upon painters and charwomen, and make ready store of pickles and preserves for the adornment of her pantry shelves.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading The housekeeper, who had quietly dozed away half her life in two rooms in a corner of the house, now bestirred herself joyfully to open shutters, kindle fires, see to the sweeping and scrubbing, keep her eye upon painters and charwomen, and make ready store of pickles and preserves for the adornment of her pantry shelves.
the context and environment in which something is set
From this reading Christmas was drawing near, and workmen were busy setting the old Hall to rights for the reception of Mr. Hill and his family.
shelvesnounUS /ʃelvz/
Plural of shelf; the vast wooden or stone structures holding archives.
From this reading The housekeeper, who had quietly dozed away half her life in two rooms in a corner of the house, now bestirred herself joyfully to open shutters, kindle fires, see to the sweeping and scrubbing, keep her eye upon painters and charwomen, and make ready store of pickles and preserves for the adornment of her pantry shelves.
shuttersnounUS /ˈʃʌtərz/
plural of “shutter” — a mechanical device on a camera that opens and closes to control the time of a photographic exposure
From this reading The housekeeper, who had quietly dozed away half her life in two rooms in a corner of the house, now bestirred herself joyfully to open shutters, kindle fires, see to the sweeping and scrubbing, keep her eye upon painters and charwomen, and make ready store of pickles and preserves for the adornment of her pantry shelves.
a mercantile establishment for the retail sale of goods or services
From this reading The housekeeper, who had quietly dozed away half her life in two rooms in a corner of the house, now bestirred herself joyfully to open shutters, kindle fires, see to the sweeping and scrubbing, keep her eye upon painters and charwomen, and make ready store of pickles and preserves for the adornment of her pantry shelves.
sweepingadjectiveUS /ˈswiːpɪŋ/
taking in or moving over (or as if over) a wide area; often used in combination
From this reading The housekeeper, who had quietly dozed away half her life in two rooms in a corner of the house, now bestirred herself joyfully to open shutters, kindle fires, see to the sweeping and scrubbing, keep her eye upon painters and charwomen, and make ready store of pickles and preserves for the adornment of her pantry shelves.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The winter deepened.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading This good woman was an old acquaintance of our two girls, their long walks often leading them across the moor, and through the grounds to the Hall.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading This good woman was an old acquaintance of our two girls, their long walks often leading them across the moor, and through the grounds to the Hall.
in or at that place or location
From this reading John had been requested to oversee the arrangements, for the place had been unoccupied for years, and there were many alterations to be made, and much new furnishing to be done.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This good woman was an old acquaintance of our two girls, their long walks often leading them across the moor, and through the grounds to the Hall.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading This good woman was an old acquaintance of our two girls, their long walks often leading them across the moor, and through the grounds to the Hall.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Christmas was drawing near, and workmen were busy setting the old Hall to rights for the reception of Mr. Hill and his family.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading The housekeeper, who had quietly dozed away half her life in two rooms in a corner of the house, now bestirred herself joyfully to open shutters, kindle fires, see to the sweeping and scrubbing, keep her eye upon painters and charwomen, and make ready store of pickles and preserves for the adornment of her pantry shelves.
unoccupiedadjectiveUS /əˈnɑːkjəpaɪd/
not held or filled or in use
From this reading John had been requested to oversee the arrangements, for the place had been unoccupied for years, and there were many alterations to be made, and much new furnishing to be done.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading The housekeeper, who had quietly dozed away half her life in two rooms in a corner of the house, now bestirred herself joyfully to open shutters, kindle fires, see to the sweeping and scrubbing, keep her eye upon painters and charwomen, and make ready store of pickles and preserves for the adornment of her pantry shelves.
walksnounUS /wɔːks/
plural of “walk” — the act of traveling by foot
From this reading This good woman was an old acquaintance of our two girls, their long walks often leading them across the moor, and through the grounds to the Hall.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Christmas was drawing near, and workmen were busy setting the old Hall to rights for the reception of Mr. Hill and his family.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Christmas was drawing near, and workmen were busy setting the old Hall to rights for the reception of Mr. Hill and his family.
which person or people
From this reading The housekeeper, who had quietly dozed away half her life in two rooms in a corner of the house, now bestirred herself joyfully to open shutters, kindle fires, see to the sweeping and scrubbing, keep her eye upon painters and charwomen, and make ready store of pickles and preserves for the adornment of her pantry shelves.
the coldest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the winter solstice to the vernal equinox
From this reading The winter deepened.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading This good woman was an old acquaintance of our two girls, their long walks often leading them across the moor, and through the grounds to the Hall.
workmennounUS /ˈwɜːrkmɪn/
plural of “workman” — an employee who performs manual or industrial labor
From this reading Christmas was drawing near, and workmen were busy setting the old Hall to rights for the reception of Mr. Hill and his family.
a late time of life
From this reading John had been requested to oversee the arrangements, for the place had been unoccupied for years, and there were many alterations to be made, and much new furnishing to be done.
