adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It was a relief to me when Alicia began to prepare the table for dinner.
Alicia
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was a relief to me when Alicia began to prepare the table for dinner.
alteredadjectiveUS /ˈɔːltərd/
changed in form or character without becoming something else
From this reading At that moment, while I was still anxiously watching my mother, I was startled by seeing the same ghastly change pass over her face which had altered it in the morning when Alicia and she first met.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading She followed me into the parlor, and the meeting passed off better than I had ventured to forecast; with this one drawback, that my mother--though she tried hard to control herself--shrank from looking my wife in the face when she spoke to her.
anxiouslyadverbUS /ˈæŋkʃəsli/
with anxiety or apprehension
From this reading At that moment, while I was still anxiously watching my mother, I was startled by seeing the same ghastly change pass over her face which had altered it in the morning when Alicia and she first met.
AtprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At that moment, while I was still anxiously watching my mother, I was startled by seeing the same ghastly change pass over her face which had altered it in the morning when Alicia and she first met.
beganverbUS /bɪˈɡæn/
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading It was a relief to me when Alicia began to prepare the table for dinner.
betteradjectiveUS /ˈbetər/
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading She followed me into the parlor, and the meeting passed off better than I had ventured to forecast; with this one drawback, that my mother--though she tried hard to control herself--shrank from looking my wife in the face when she spoke to her.
breadnounUS /bred/
food made from dough of flour or meal and usually raised with yeast or baking powder and then baked
From this reading She laid the cloth, brought in the bread tray, and cut some slices for us from the loaf.
broughtverbUS /brɔːt/
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading She laid the cloth, brought in the bread tray, and cut some slices for us from the loaf.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading At that moment, while I was still anxiously watching my mother, I was startled by seeing the same ghastly change pass over her face which had altered it in the morning when Alicia and she first met.
changeverbUS /tʃeɪndʒ/
cause to change; make different; cause a transformation
From this reading At that moment, while I was still anxiously watching my mother, I was startled by seeing the same ghastly change pass over her face which had altered it in the morning when Alicia and she first met.
clothnounUS /klɔːθ/
artifact made by weaving or felting or knitting or crocheting natural or synthetic fibers
From this reading She laid the cloth, brought in the bread tray, and cut some slices for us from the loaf.
controlnounUS /kənˈtroʊl/
power to direct or determine
From this reading She followed me into the parlor, and the meeting passed off better than I had ventured to forecast; with this one drawback, that my mother--though she tried hard to control herself--shrank from looking my wife in the face when she spoke to her.
cutverbUS /kʌt/
separate with or as if with an instrument
From this reading She laid the cloth, brought in the bread tray, and cut some slices for us from the loaf.
dinnernounUS /ˈdɪnər/
the main meal of the day served in the evening or at midday
From this reading It was a relief to me when Alicia began to prepare the table for dinner.
drawbacknounUS /ˈdrɔːbæk/
the quality of being a hindrance
From this reading She followed me into the parlor, and the meeting passed off better than I had ventured to forecast; with this one drawback, that my mother--though she tried hard to control herself--shrank from looking my wife in the face when she spoke to her.
facenounUS /feɪs/
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading She followed me into the parlor, and the meeting passed off better than I had ventured to forecast; with this one drawback, that my mother--though she tried hard to control herself--shrank from looking my wife in the face when she spoke to her.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading At that moment, while I was still anxiously watching my mother, I was startled by seeing the same ghastly change pass over her face which had altered it in the morning when Alicia and she first met.
followedverbUS /ˈfɑːloʊd/
past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after
From this reading She followed me into the parlor, and the meeting passed off better than I had ventured to forecast; with this one drawback, that my mother--though she tried hard to control herself--shrank from looking my wife in the face when she spoke to her.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading It was a relief to me when Alicia began to prepare the table for dinner.
forecastverbUS /ˈfɔːrkæst/
predict in advance
From this reading She followed me into the parlor, and the meeting passed off better than I had ventured to forecast; with this one drawback, that my mother--though she tried hard to control herself--shrank from looking my wife in the face when she spoke to her.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading She followed me into the parlor, and the meeting passed off better than I had ventured to forecast; with this one drawback, that my mother--though she tried hard to control herself--shrank from looking my wife in the face when she spoke to her.
ghastlyadjectiveUS /ˈɡæstli/
shockingly repellent; inspiring horror
From this reading At that moment, while I was still anxiously watching my mother, I was startled by seeing the same ghastly change pass over her face which had altered it in the morning when Alicia and she first met.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading She followed me into the parlor, and the meeting passed off better than I had ventured to forecast; with this one drawback, that my mother--though she tried hard to control herself--shrank from looking my wife in the face when she spoke to her.
hardadjectiveUS /hɑːrd/
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading She followed me into the parlor, and the meeting passed off better than I had ventured to forecast; with this one drawback, that my mother--though she tried hard to control herself--shrank from looking my wife in the face when she spoke to her.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading She followed me into the parlor, and the meeting passed off better than I had ventured to forecast; with this one drawback, that my mother--though she tried hard to control herself--shrank from looking my wife in the face when she spoke to her.
herselfpronounUS /hərˈself/
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading She followed me into the parlor, and the meeting passed off better than I had ventured to forecast; with this one drawback, that my mother--though she tried hard to control herself--shrank from looking my wife in the face when she spoke to her.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading She followed me into the parlor, and the meeting passed off better than I had ventured to forecast; with this one drawback, that my mother--though she tried hard to control herself--shrank from looking my wife in the face when she spoke to her.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading She followed me into the parlor, and the meeting passed off better than I had ventured to forecast; with this one drawback, that my mother--though she tried hard to control herself--shrank from looking my wife in the face when she spoke to her.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading She followed me into the parlor, and the meeting passed off better than I had ventured to forecast; with this one drawback, that my mother--though she tried hard to control herself--shrank from looking my wife in the face when she spoke to her.
ItpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was a relief to me when Alicia began to prepare the table for dinner.
kitchennounUS /ˈkɪtʃən/
a room equipped for preparing meals
From this reading Then she returned to the kitchen.
laidadjectiveUS /leɪd/
set down according to a plan
From this reading She laid the cloth, brought in the bread tray, and cut some slices for us from the loaf.
loafnounUS /loʊf/
a shaped mass of baked bread that is usually sliced before eating
From this reading She laid the cloth, brought in the bread tray, and cut some slices for us from the loaf.
lookingnounUS /ˈlʊkɪŋ/
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading She followed me into the parlor, and the meeting passed off better than I had ventured to forecast; with this one drawback, that my mother--though she tried hard to control herself--shrank from looking my wife in the face when she spoke to her.
mepronounUS /miː/
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading She followed me into the parlor, and the meeting passed off better than I had ventured to forecast; with this one drawback, that my mother--though she tried hard to control herself--shrank from looking my wife in the face when she spoke to her.
meetingnounUS /ˈmiːtɪŋ/
a formally arranged gathering
From this reading She followed me into the parlor, and the meeting passed off better than I had ventured to forecast; with this one drawback, that my mother--though she tried hard to control herself--shrank from looking my wife in the face when she spoke to her.
metverbUS /met/
inflected form of “meet” — come together
From this reading At that moment, while I was still anxiously watching my mother, I was startled by seeing the same ghastly change pass over her face which had altered it in the morning when Alicia and she first met.
momentnounUS /ˈmoʊmənt/
a particular point in time
From this reading At that moment, while I was still anxiously watching my mother, I was startled by seeing the same ghastly change pass over her face which had altered it in the morning when Alicia and she first met.
morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading At that moment, while I was still anxiously watching my mother, I was startled by seeing the same ghastly change pass over her face which had altered it in the morning when Alicia and she first met.
mothernounUS /ˈmʌðər/
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading She followed me into the parlor, and the meeting passed off better than I had ventured to forecast; with this one drawback, that my mother--though she tried hard to control herself--shrank from looking my wife in the face when she spoke to her.
mydeterminerUS /maɪ/
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading She followed me into the parlor, and the meeting passed off better than I had ventured to forecast; with this one drawback, that my mother--though she tried hard to control herself--shrank from looking my wife in the face when she spoke to her.
offadverbUS /ɔːf/
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading She followed me into the parlor, and the meeting passed off better than I had ventured to forecast; with this one drawback, that my mother--though she tried hard to control herself--shrank from looking my wife in the face when she spoke to her.
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading She followed me into the parlor, and the meeting passed off better than I had ventured to forecast; with this one drawback, that my mother--though she tried hard to control herself--shrank from looking my wife in the face when she spoke to her.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading At that moment, while I was still anxiously watching my mother, I was startled by seeing the same ghastly change pass over her face which had altered it in the morning when Alicia and she first met.
parlornounUS /ˈpɑːrlər/
reception room in an inn or club where visitors can be received
From this reading She followed me into the parlor, and the meeting passed off better than I had ventured to forecast; with this one drawback, that my mother--though she tried hard to control herself--shrank from looking my wife in the face when she spoke to her.
passverbUS /pæs/
go across or through
From this reading At that moment, while I was still anxiously watching my mother, I was startled by seeing the same ghastly change pass over her face which had altered it in the morning when Alicia and she first met.
passedverbUS /pæst/
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading She followed me into the parlor, and the meeting passed off better than I had ventured to forecast; with this one drawback, that my mother--though she tried hard to control herself--shrank from looking my wife in the face when she spoke to her.
prepareverbUS /priˈper/
make ready or suitable or equip in advance for a particular purpose or for some use, event, etc
From this reading It was a relief to me when Alicia began to prepare the table for dinner.
reliefnounUS /rɪˈliːf/
the feeling that comes when something burdensome is removed or reduced
From this reading It was a relief to me when Alicia began to prepare the table for dinner.
returnedverbUS /rɪˈtɜːrnd/
past form of “return” — go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading Then she returned to the kitchen.
sameadjectiveUS /seɪm/
Identical; not different.
From this reading At that moment, while I was still anxiously watching my mother, I was startled by seeing the same ghastly change pass over her face which had altered it in the morning when Alicia and she first met.
seeingnounUS /ˈsiːɪŋ/
perception by means of the eyes
From this reading At that moment, while I was still anxiously watching my mother, I was startled by seeing the same ghastly change pass over her face which had altered it in the morning when Alicia and she first met.
ShepronounUS /ʃiː/
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She followed me into the parlor, and the meeting passed off better than I had ventured to forecast; with this one drawback, that my mother--though she tried hard to control herself--shrank from looking my wife in the face when she spoke to her.
shrankverbUS /ʃræŋk/
inflected form of “shrink” — wither, as with a loss of moisture
From this reading She followed me into the parlor, and the meeting passed off better than I had ventured to forecast; with this one drawback, that my mother--though she tried hard to control herself--shrank from looking my wife in the face when she spoke to her.
slicesnounUS /ˈslaɪsəz/
plural of “slice” — a share of something
From this reading She laid the cloth, brought in the bread tray, and cut some slices for us from the loaf.
someadjectiveUS /sʌm/
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading She laid the cloth, brought in the bread tray, and cut some slices for us from the loaf.
spokenounUS /spoʊk/
support consisting of a radial member of a wheel joining the hub to the rim
From this reading She followed me into the parlor, and the meeting passed off better than I had ventured to forecast; with this one drawback, that my mother--though she tried hard to control herself--shrank from looking my wife in the face when she spoke to her.
startledadjectiveUS /ˈstɑːrtəld/
excited by sudden surprise or alarm and making a quick involuntary movement
From this reading At that moment, while I was still anxiously watching my mother, I was startled by seeing the same ghastly change pass over her face which had altered it in the morning when Alicia and she first met.
stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/
not in physical motion
From this reading At that moment, while I was still anxiously watching my mother, I was startled by seeing the same ghastly change pass over her face which had altered it in the morning when Alicia and she first met.
tablenounUS /ˈteɪbəl/
a set of data arranged in rows and columns
From this reading It was a relief to me when Alicia began to prepare the table for dinner.
thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading She followed me into the parlor, and the meeting passed off better than I had ventured to forecast; with this one drawback, that my mother--though she tried hard to control herself--shrank from looking my wife in the face when she spoke to her.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading She followed me into the parlor, and the meeting passed off better than I had ventured to forecast; with this one drawback, that my mother--though she tried hard to control herself--shrank from looking my wife in the face when she spoke to her.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading She followed me into the parlor, and the meeting passed off better than I had ventured to forecast; with this one drawback, that my mother--though she tried hard to control herself--shrank from looking my wife in the face when she spoke to her.
ThenadverbUS /ðen/
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then she returned to the kitchen.
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading She followed me into the parlor, and the meeting passed off better than I had ventured to forecast; with this one drawback, that my mother--though she tried hard to control herself--shrank from looking my wife in the face when she spoke to her.
thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/
in spite of the fact that
From this reading She followed me into the parlor, and the meeting passed off better than I had ventured to forecast; with this one drawback, that my mother--though she tried hard to control herself--shrank from looking my wife in the face when she spoke to her.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading She followed me into the parlor, and the meeting passed off better than I had ventured to forecast; with this one drawback, that my mother--though she tried hard to control herself--shrank from looking my wife in the face when she spoke to her.
traynounUS /treɪ/
an open receptacle for holding or displaying or serving articles or food
From this reading She laid the cloth, brought in the bread tray, and cut some slices for us from the loaf.
triedadjectiveUS /traɪd/
tested and proved useful or correct
From this reading She followed me into the parlor, and the meeting passed off better than I had ventured to forecast; with this one drawback, that my mother--though she tried hard to control herself--shrank from looking my wife in the face when she spoke to her.
uspronounUS /ʌs/
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading She laid the cloth, brought in the bread tray, and cut some slices for us from the loaf.
venturedverbUS /ˈventʃərd/
past form of “venture” — proceed somewhere despite the risk of possible dangers
From this reading She followed me into the parlor, and the meeting passed off better than I had ventured to forecast; with this one drawback, that my mother--though she tried hard to control herself--shrank from looking my wife in the face when she spoke to her.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was a relief to me when Alicia began to prepare the table for dinner.
watchingnounUS /ˈwɑːtʃɪŋ/
the act of observing; taking a patient look
From this reading At that moment, while I was still anxiously watching my mother, I was startled by seeing the same ghastly change pass over her face which had altered it in the morning when Alicia and she first met.
whenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading She followed me into the parlor, and the meeting passed off better than I had ventured to forecast; with this one drawback, that my mother--though she tried hard to control herself--shrank from looking my wife in the face when she spoke to her.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading At that moment, while I was still anxiously watching my mother, I was startled by seeing the same ghastly change pass over her face which had altered it in the morning when Alicia and she first met.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading At that moment, while I was still anxiously watching my mother, I was startled by seeing the same ghastly change pass over her face which had altered it in the morning when Alicia and she first met.
wifenounUS /waɪf/
a married woman; a man's partner in marriage
From this reading She followed me into the parlor, and the meeting passed off better than I had ventured to forecast; with this one drawback, that my mother--though she tried hard to control herself--shrank from looking my wife in the face when she spoke to her.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading She followed me into the parlor, and the meeting passed off better than I had ventured to forecast; with this one drawback, that my mother--though she tried hard to control herself--shrank from looking my wife in the face when she spoke to her.
