abbreviatedadjectiveUS /əˈbriːvieɪtɪd/
(of clothing) very short
From this reading She returned their abbreviated greetings and then took her seat to surround herself with the same wall of silence that seemed to confine everyone at every meal.
the state of being absent
From this reading Nothing was said of Vince's absence for the past few days.
(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 Though the food was good and well prepared, it all seemed flat and tasteless in the strained atmosphere of the Cavendish house.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading She returned their abbreviated greetings and then took her seat to surround herself with the same wall of silence that seemed to confine everyone at every meal.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading TONTO The men were at the breakfast table when Penny entered the big dining room.
a particular environment or surrounding influence
From this reading Though the food was good and well prepared, it all seemed flat and tasteless in the strained atmosphere of the Cavendish house.
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading TONTO The men were at the breakfast table when Penny entered the big dining room.
eat an early morning meal
From this reading TONTO The men were at the breakfast table when Penny entered the big dining room.
CavendishnounUS /ˈkævəndɪʃ/
British chemist and physicist who established that water is a compound of hydrogen and oxygen and who calculated the density of the earth (1731-1810)
From this reading Though the food was good and well prepared, it all seemed flat and tasteless in the strained atmosphere of the Cavendish house.
belonging to or participated in by a community as a whole; public
From this reading The cousins, her uncle, and Penny had no common denominator of conversation.
confineverbUS /kənˈfaɪn/
place limits on (extent or amount or access)
From this reading She returned their abbreviated greetings and then took her seat to surround herself with the same wall of silence that seemed to confine everyone at every meal.
the use of speech for informal exchange of views or ideas or information etc.
From this reading The cousins, her uncle, and Penny had no common denominator of conversation.
cousinsnounUS /ˈkʌzənz/
plural of “cousin” — the child of your aunt or uncle
From this reading The cousins, her uncle, and Penny had no common denominator of conversation.
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading Nothing was said of Vince's absence for the past few days.
denominatornounUS /dɪˈnɑːməneɪtər/
the divisor of a fraction
From this reading The cousins, her uncle, and Penny had no common denominator of conversation.
diningnounUS /ˈdaɪnɪŋ/
the act of eating dinner
From this reading TONTO The men were at the breakfast table when Penny entered the big dining room.
past form of “enter” — to come or go into
From this reading TONTO The men were at the breakfast table when Penny entered the big dining room.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading She returned their abbreviated greetings and then took her seat to surround herself with the same wall of silence that seemed to confine everyone at every meal.
every person
From this reading She returned their abbreviated greetings and then took her seat to surround herself with the same wall of silence that seemed to confine everyone at every meal.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading Nothing was said of Vince's absence for the past few days.
having a surface without slope, tilt in which no part is higher or lower than another
From this reading Though the food was good and well prepared, it all seemed flat and tasteless in the strained atmosphere of the Cavendish house.
any substance that can be metabolized by an animal to give energy and build tissue
From this reading Though the food was good and well prepared, it all seemed flat and tasteless in the strained atmosphere of the Cavendish house.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Nothing was said of Vince's absence for the past few days.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading Though the food was good and well prepared, it all seemed flat and tasteless in the strained atmosphere of the Cavendish house.
greetingsnounUS /ˈɡriːtɪŋz/
plural of “greeting” — (usually plural) an acknowledgment or expression of good will (especially on meeting)
From this reading She returned their abbreviated greetings and then took her seat to surround herself with the same wall of silence that seemed to confine everyone at every meal.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The cousins, her uncle, and Penny had no common denominator of conversation.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading She returned their abbreviated greetings and then took her seat to surround herself with the same wall of silence that seemed to confine everyone at every meal.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading She returned their abbreviated greetings and then took her seat to surround herself with the same wall of silence that seemed to confine everyone at every meal.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading Though the food was good and well prepared, it all seemed flat and tasteless in the strained atmosphere of the Cavendish house.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Though the food was good and well prepared, it all seemed flat and tasteless in the strained atmosphere of the Cavendish house.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Though the food was good and well prepared, it all seemed flat and tasteless in the strained atmosphere of the Cavendish house.
the food served and eaten at one time
From this reading She returned their abbreviated greetings and then took her seat to surround herself with the same wall of silence that seemed to confine everyone at every meal.
the force of workers available
From this reading TONTO The men were at the breakfast table when Penny entered the big dining room.
not any; not one
From this reading The cousins, her uncle, and Penny had no common denominator of conversation.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading Nothing was said of Vince's absence for the past few days.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading She returned their abbreviated greetings and then took her seat to surround herself with the same wall of silence that seemed to confine everyone at every meal.
the time that has elapsed
From this reading Nothing was said of Vince's absence for the past few days.
a fractional monetary unit of Ireland and the United Kingdom; equal to one hundredth of a pound
From this reading TONTO The men were at the breakfast table when Penny entered the big dining room.
made ready or fit or suitable beforehand
From this reading Though the food was good and well prepared, it all seemed flat and tasteless in the strained atmosphere of the Cavendish house.
past form of “return” — go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading She returned their abbreviated greetings and then took her seat to surround herself with the same wall of silence that seemed to confine everyone at every meal.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading TONTO The men were at the breakfast table when Penny entered the big dining room.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading Nothing was said of Vince's absence for the past few days.
Identical; not different.
From this reading She returned their abbreviated greetings and then took her seat to surround herself with the same wall of silence that seemed to confine everyone at every meal.
a space reserved for sitting (as in a theater or on a train or airplane)
From this reading She returned their abbreviated greetings and then took her seat to surround herself with the same wall of silence that seemed to confine everyone at every meal.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading She returned their abbreviated greetings and then took her seat to surround herself with the same wall of silence that seemed to confine everyone at every meal.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She returned their abbreviated greetings and then took her seat to surround herself with the same wall of silence that seemed to confine everyone at every meal.
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading She returned their abbreviated greetings and then took her seat to surround herself with the same wall of silence that seemed to confine everyone at every meal.
strainedadjectiveUS /streɪnd/
lacking natural ease
From this reading Though the food was good and well prepared, it all seemed flat and tasteless in the strained atmosphere of the Cavendish house.
surroundverbUS /sərˈaʊnd/
extend on all sides of simultaneously; encircle
From this reading She returned their abbreviated greetings and then took her seat to surround herself with the same wall of silence that seemed to confine everyone at every meal.
a set of data arranged in rows and columns
From this reading TONTO The men were at the breakfast table when Penny entered the big dining room.
tastelessadjectiveUS /ˈteɪstləs/
lacking flavor
From this reading Though the food was good and well prepared, it all seemed flat and tasteless in the strained atmosphere of the Cavendish house.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading She returned their abbreviated greetings and then took her seat to surround herself with the same wall of silence that seemed to confine everyone at every meal.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading TONTO The men were at the breakfast table when Penny entered the big dining room.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading She returned their abbreviated greetings and then took her seat to surround herself with the same wall of silence that seemed to confine everyone at every meal.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading She returned their abbreviated greetings and then took her seat to surround herself with the same wall of silence that seemed to confine everyone at every meal.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading Though the food was good and well prepared, it all seemed flat and tasteless in the strained atmosphere of the Cavendish house.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading She returned their abbreviated greetings and then took her seat to surround herself with the same wall of silence that seemed to confine everyone at every meal.
TONTO
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading TONTO The men were at the breakfast table when Penny entered the big dining room.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading She returned their abbreviated greetings and then took her seat to surround herself with the same wall of silence that seemed to confine everyone at every meal.
the brother of your father or mother; the husband of your aunt
From this reading The cousins, her uncle, and Penny had no common denominator of conversation.
Vince's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Nothing was said of Vince's absence for the past few days.
an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure
From this reading She returned their abbreviated greetings and then took her seat to surround herself with the same wall of silence that seemed to confine everyone at every meal.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Though the food was good and well prepared, it all seemed flat and tasteless in the strained atmosphere of the Cavendish house.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading Though the food was good and well prepared, it all seemed flat and tasteless in the strained atmosphere of the Cavendish house.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading TONTO The men were at the breakfast table when Penny entered the big dining room.
at the time that
From this reading TONTO The men were at the breakfast table when Penny entered the big dining room.
in the company of; together with
From this reading She returned their abbreviated greetings and then took her seat to surround herself with the same wall of silence that seemed to confine everyone at every meal.
