used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading They knew everybody and all about everybody, and pottered through life with the assistance of a comfortable income which they shared in common, a trifle of gossip, and a series of afternoon teas.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading They knew everybody and all about everybody, and pottered through life with the assistance of a comfortable income which they shared in common, a trifle of gossip, and a series of afternoon teas.
having fair knowledge of
From this reading At the daily services of the cathedral they were always to be seen, and were intimately acquainted with the dean and chapter.
AfterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading After that momentous interview I presented myself to my astonished relatives.
the part of the day between noon and evening
From this reading They knew everybody and all about everybody, and pottered through life with the assistance of a comfortable income which they shared in common, a trifle of gossip, and a series of afternoon teas.
(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 They knew everybody and all about everybody, and pottered through life with the assistance of a comfortable income which they shared in common, a trifle of gossip, and a series of afternoon teas.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading At the daily services of the cathedral they were always to be seen, and were intimately acquainted with the dean and chapter.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading They knew everybody and all about everybody, and pottered through life with the assistance of a comfortable income which they shared in common, a trifle of gossip, and a series of afternoon teas.
the activity of contributing to the fulfillment of a need or furtherance of an effort or purpose
From this reading They knew everybody and all about everybody, and pottered through life with the assistance of a comfortable income which they shared in common, a trifle of gossip, and a series of afternoon teas.
filled with the emotional impact of overwhelming surprise or shock
From this reading After that momentous interview I presented myself to my astonished relatives.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At the daily services of the cathedral they were always to be seen, and were intimately acquainted with the dean and chapter.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading At the daily services of the cathedral they were always to be seen, and were intimately acquainted with the dean and chapter.
the supreme effort one can make
From this reading These were two lovable old maids, sisters of my mother, who had passed the best part of their existence in the Cathedral Square of Marshminster.
a senior member of the Christian clergy having spiritual and administrative authority; appointed in Christian churches to oversee priests or ministers; considered in some churches to be successors of the twelve Apostles of Christ
From this reading Even the bishop condescended to take tea with them on occasions, and they held their heads high in consequence.
CathedralnounUS /kəˈθiːdrəl/
any large and important church
From this reading These were two lovable old maids, sisters of my mother, who had passed the best part of their existence in the Cathedral Square of Marshminster.
a subdivision of a written work; usually numbered and titled
From this reading At the daily services of the cathedral they were always to be seen, and were intimately acquainted with the dean and chapter.
providing or experiencing physical well-being or relief (“comfy” is informal)
From this reading They knew everybody and all about everybody, and pottered through life with the assistance of a comfortable income which they shared in common, a trifle of gossip, and a series of afternoon teas.
belonging to or participated in by a community as a whole; public
From this reading They knew everybody and all about everybody, and pottered through life with the assistance of a comfortable income which they shared in common, a trifle of gossip, and a series of afternoon teas.
condescendedverbUS /ˌkɑːndɪˈsendɪd/
past form of “condescend” — behave in a patronizing and condescending manner
From this reading Even the bishop condescended to take tea with them on occasions, and they held their heads high in consequence.
a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon
From this reading Even the bishop condescended to take tea with them on occasions, and they held their heads high in consequence.
every day; without missing a day
From this reading At the daily services of the cathedral they were always to be seen, and were intimately acquainted with the dean and chapter.
deannounUS /diːn/
an administrator in charge of a division of a university or college
From this reading At the daily services of the cathedral they were always to be seen, and were intimately acquainted with the dean and chapter.
divisible by two
From this reading Even the bishop condescended to take tea with them on occasions, and they held their heads high in consequence.
every person
From this reading They knew everybody and all about everybody, and pottered through life with the assistance of a comfortable income which they shared in common, a trifle of gossip, and a series of afternoon teas.
the state or fact of existing
From this reading These were two lovable old maids, sisters of my mother, who had passed the best part of their existence in the Cathedral Square of Marshminster.
gossipnounUS /ˈɡɑːsəp/
light informal conversation for social occasions
From this reading They knew everybody and all about everybody, and pottered through life with the assistance of a comfortable income which they shared in common, a trifle of gossip, and a series of afternoon teas.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading These were two lovable old maids, sisters of my mother, who had passed the best part of their existence in the Cathedral Square of Marshminster.
plural of “head” — the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading Even the bishop condescended to take tea with them on occasions, and they held their heads high in consequence.
occupied or in the control of; often used in combination
From this reading Even the bishop condescended to take tea with them on occasions, and they held their heads high in consequence.
greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading Even the bishop condescended to take tea with them on occasions, and they held their heads high in consequence.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading After that momentous interview I presented myself to my astonished relatives.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading These were two lovable old maids, sisters of my mother, who had passed the best part of their existence in the Cathedral Square of Marshminster.
incomenounUS /ˈɪnkʌm/
the financial gain (earned or unearned) accruing over a given period of time
From this reading They knew everybody and all about everybody, and pottered through life with the assistance of a comfortable income which they shared in common, a trifle of gossip, and a series of afternoon teas.
conduct an interview in television, newspaper, and radio reporting
From this reading After that momentous interview I presented myself to my astonished relatives.
intimatelyadverbUS /ˈɪntəmətli/
in a close manner
From this reading At the daily services of the cathedral they were always to be seen, and were intimately acquainted with the dean and chapter.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading They knew everybody and all about everybody, and pottered through life with the assistance of a comfortable income which they shared in common, a trifle of gossip, and a series of afternoon teas.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading They knew everybody and all about everybody, and pottered through life with the assistance of a comfortable income which they shared in common, a trifle of gossip, and a series of afternoon teas.
lovableadjectiveUS /ˈlʌvəbəl/
having characteristics that attract love or affection
From this reading These were two lovable old maids, sisters of my mother, who had passed the best part of their existence in the Cathedral Square of Marshminster.
maidsnounUS /meɪdz/
plural of “maid” — a female domestic
From this reading These were two lovable old maids, sisters of my mother, who had passed the best part of their existence in the Cathedral Square of Marshminster.
Marshminster
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading These were two lovable old maids, sisters of my mother, who had passed the best part of their existence in the Cathedral Square of Marshminster.
momentousadjectiveUS /moʊˈmentəs/
of very great significance
From this reading After that momentous interview I presented myself to my astonished relatives.
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading These were two lovable old maids, sisters of my mother, who had passed the best part of their existence in the Cathedral Square of Marshminster.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading After that momentous interview I presented myself to my astonished relatives.
used when the speaker is also the object of the action
From this reading After that momentous interview I presented myself to my astonished relatives.
something you have to do
From this reading Even the bishop condescended to take tea with them on occasions, and they held their heads high in consequence.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading These were two lovable old maids, sisters of my mother, who had passed the best part of their existence in the Cathedral Square of Marshminster.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading These were two lovable old maids, sisters of my mother, who had passed the best part of their existence in the Cathedral Square of Marshminster.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Even the bishop condescended to take tea with them on occasions, and they held their heads high in consequence.
something determined in relation to something that includes it
From this reading These were two lovable old maids, sisters of my mother, who had passed the best part of their existence in the Cathedral Square of Marshminster.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading These were two lovable old maids, sisters of my mother, who had passed the best part of their existence in the Cathedral Square of Marshminster.
pottered
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They knew everybody and all about everybody, and pottered through life with the assistance of a comfortable income which they shared in common, a trifle of gossip, and a series of afternoon teas.
past form of “present” — give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading After that momentous interview I presented myself to my astonished relatives.
relativesnounUS /ˈrelətɪvz/
plural of “relative” — a person related by blood or marriage
From this reading After that momentous interview I presented myself to my astonished relatives.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading At the daily services of the cathedral they were always to be seen, and were intimately acquainted with the dean and chapter.
similar things placed in order or happening one after another
From this reading They knew everybody and all about everybody, and pottered through life with the assistance of a comfortable income which they shared in common, a trifle of gossip, and a series of afternoon teas.
performance of duties or provision of space and equipment helpful to others
From this reading At the daily services of the cathedral they were always to be seen, and were intimately acquainted with the dean and chapter.
sharedadjectiveUS /ʃerd/
have in common; held or experienced in common
From this reading They knew everybody and all about everybody, and pottered through life with the assistance of a comfortable income which they shared in common, a trifle of gossip, and a series of afternoon teas.
plural of “sister” — a female person who has the same parents as another person
From this reading These were two lovable old maids, sisters of my mother, who had passed the best part of their existence in the Cathedral Square of Marshminster.
make square
From this reading These were two lovable old maids, sisters of my mother, who had passed the best part of their existence in the Cathedral Square of Marshminster.
carry out
From this reading Even the bishop condescended to take tea with them on occasions, and they held their heads high in consequence.
a beverage made by steeping tea leaves in water
From this reading Even the bishop condescended to take tea with them on occasions, and they held their heads high in consequence.
teasnounUS /tiːz/
plural of “tea” — a beverage made by steeping tea leaves in water
From this reading They knew everybody and all about everybody, and pottered through life with the assistance of a comfortable income which they shared in common, a trifle of gossip, and a series of afternoon teas.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading After that momentous interview I presented myself to my astonished relatives.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading These were two lovable old maids, sisters of my mother, who had passed the best part of their existence in the Cathedral Square of Marshminster.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading These were two lovable old maids, sisters of my mother, who had passed the best part of their existence in the Cathedral Square of Marshminster.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Even the bishop condescended to take tea with them on occasions, and they held their heads high in consequence.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading These were two lovable old maids, sisters of my mother, who had passed the best part of their existence in the Cathedral Square of Marshminster.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They knew everybody and all about everybody, and pottered through life with the assistance of a comfortable income which they shared in common, a trifle of gossip, and a series of afternoon teas.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading They knew everybody and all about everybody, and pottered through life with the assistance of a comfortable income which they shared in common, a trifle of gossip, and a series of afternoon teas.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading After that momentous interview I presented myself to my astonished relatives.
a cold pudding made of layers of sponge cake spread with fruit or jelly; may be decorated with nuts, cream, or chocolate
From this reading They knew everybody and all about everybody, and pottered through life with the assistance of a comfortable income which they shared in common, a trifle of gossip, and a series of afternoon teas.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading These were two lovable old maids, sisters of my mother, who had passed the best part of their existence in the Cathedral Square of Marshminster.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading These were two lovable old maids, sisters of my mother, who had passed the best part of their existence in the Cathedral Square of Marshminster.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading They knew everybody and all about everybody, and pottered through life with the assistance of a comfortable income which they shared in common, a trifle of gossip, and a series of afternoon teas.
which person or people
From this reading These were two lovable old maids, sisters of my mother, who had passed the best part of their existence in the Cathedral Square of Marshminster.
in the company of; together with
From this reading They knew everybody and all about everybody, and pottered through life with the assistance of a comfortable income which they shared in common, a trifle of gossip, and a series of afternoon teas.
