used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A Mysterious Happening It was now nearly the end of July.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading They hung about in disconsolate little groups, and grumbled.
commonly used or practiced; usual
From this reading The girls had grown accustomed to spending almost all their spare time out of doors, and chafed at their enforced confinement to the house.
(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 The girls had grown accustomed to spending almost all their spare time out of doors, and chafed at their enforced confinement to the house.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading The girls had grown accustomed to spending almost all their spare time out of doors, and chafed at their enforced confinement to the house.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The weather, which for many weeks had been fine and warm, suddenly changed to a spell of cold and wet.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The girls had grown accustomed to spending almost all their spare time out of doors, and chafed at their enforced confinement to the house.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading The weather, which for many weeks had been fine and warm, suddenly changed to a spell of cold and wet.
chafedadjectiveUS /tʃeɪft/
painful from having the skin abraded
From this reading The girls had grown accustomed to spending almost all their spare time out of doors, and chafed at their enforced confinement to the house.
made or become different in nature or form
From this reading The weather, which for many weeks had been fine and warm, suddenly changed to a spell of cold and wet.
having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration
From this reading The weather, which for many weeks had been fine and warm, suddenly changed to a spell of cold and wet.
confinementnounUS /kənˈfaɪnmənt/
concluding state of pregnancy; from the onset of contractions to the birth of a child
From this reading The girls had grown accustomed to spending almost all their spare time out of doors, and chafed at their enforced confinement to the house.
courtsnounUS /kɔːrts/
plural of “court” — an assembly (including one or more judges) to conduct judicial business
From this reading Rain dripped dismally from the eaves, the tennis courts were sodden, and the orchard was a marsh.
disconsolateadjective
sad beyond comforting; incapable of being consoled
From this reading They hung about in disconsolate little groups, and grumbled.
dismallyadverbUS /ˈdɪzməli/
in a cheerless manner
From this reading Rain dripped dismally from the eaves, the tennis courts were sodden, and the orchard was a marsh.
plural of “door” — a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading The girls had grown accustomed to spending almost all their spare time out of doors, and chafed at their enforced confinement to the house.
drippedverbUS /drɪpt/
inflected form of “drip” — fall in drops
From this reading Rain dripped dismally from the eaves, the tennis courts were sodden, and the orchard was a marsh.
eavesnounUS /iːvz/
the overhang at the lower edge of a roof
From this reading Rain dripped dismally from the eaves, the tennis courts were sodden, and the orchard was a marsh.
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading A Mysterious Happening It was now nearly the end of July.
enforcedadjectiveUS /enˈfɔːrst/
forced or compelled or put in force
From this reading The girls had grown accustomed to spending almost all their spare time out of doors, and chafed at their enforced confinement to the house.
being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition
From this reading The weather, which for many weeks had been fine and warm, suddenly changed to a spell of cold and wet.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The weather, which for many weeks had been fine and warm, suddenly changed to a spell of cold and wet.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Rain dripped dismally from the eaves, the tennis courts were sodden, and the orchard was a marsh.
plural of “girl” — a young female
From this reading The girls had grown accustomed to spending almost all their spare time out of doors, and chafed at their enforced confinement to the house.
groupsnounUS /ɡruːps/
plural of “group” — any number of entities (members) considered as a unit
From this reading They hung about in disconsolate little groups, and grumbled.
(of animals) fully developed
From this reading The girls had grown accustomed to spending almost all their spare time out of doors, and chafed at their enforced confinement to the house.
grumbledverbUS /ˈɡrʌmbəld/
past form of “grumble” — show one's unhappiness or critical attitude
From this reading They hung about in disconsolate little groups, and grumbled.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The weather, which for many weeks had been fine and warm, suddenly changed to a spell of cold and wet.
HappeningnounUS /ˈhæpənɪŋ/
an event that happens
From this reading A Mysterious Happening It was now nearly the end of July.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading The girls had grown accustomed to spending almost all their spare time out of doors, and chafed at their enforced confinement to the house.
inflected form of “hang” — be suspended or hanging
From this reading They hung about in disconsolate little groups, and grumbled.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading They hung about in disconsolate little groups, and grumbled.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading A Mysterious Happening It was now nearly the end of July.
JulynounUS /ˌdʒuːˈlaɪ/
the month following June and preceding August
From this reading A Mysterious Happening It was now nearly the end of July.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading They hung about in disconsolate little groups, and grumbled.
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 The weather, which for many weeks had been fine and warm, suddenly changed to a spell of cold and wet.
marshnounUS /mɑːrʃ/
low-lying wet land with grassy vegetation; usually is a transition zone between land and water
From this reading Rain dripped dismally from the eaves, the tennis courts were sodden, and the orchard was a marsh.
of an obscure nature
From this reading A Mysterious Happening It was now nearly the end of July.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading A Mysterious Happening It was now nearly the end of July.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading A Mysterious Happening It was now nearly the end of July.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A Mysterious Happening It was now nearly the end of July.
orchardnounUS /ˈɔːrtʃərd/
garden consisting of a small cultivated wood without undergrowth
From this reading Rain dripped dismally from the eaves, the tennis courts were sodden, and the orchard was a marsh.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading The girls had grown accustomed to spending almost all their spare time out of doors, and chafed at their enforced confinement to the house.
water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere
From this reading Rain dripped dismally from the eaves, the tennis courts were sodden, and the orchard was a marsh.
soddenadjectiveUS /ˈsɑːdən/
wet through and through; thoroughly wet
From this reading Rain dripped dismally from the eaves, the tennis courts were sodden, and the orchard was a marsh.
refrain from harming
From this reading The girls had grown accustomed to spending almost all their spare time out of doors, and chafed at their enforced confinement to the house.
orally recite the letters of or give the spelling of
From this reading The weather, which for many weeks had been fine and warm, suddenly changed to a spell of cold and wet.
spendingnounUS /ˈspendɪŋ/
the act of spending or disbursing money
From this reading The girls had grown accustomed to spending almost all their spare time out of doors, and chafed at their enforced confinement to the house.
happening unexpectedly
From this reading The weather, which for many weeks had been fine and warm, suddenly changed to a spell of cold and wet.
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 Rain dripped dismally from the eaves, the tennis courts were sodden, and the orchard was a marsh.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A Mysterious Happening It was now nearly the end of July.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading The girls had grown accustomed to spending almost all their spare time out of doors, and chafed at their enforced confinement to the house.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They hung about in disconsolate little groups, and grumbled.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading The girls had grown accustomed to spending almost all their spare time out of doors, and chafed at their enforced confinement to the house.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The weather, which for many weeks had been fine and warm, suddenly changed to a spell of cold and wet.
having or producing a comfortable and agreeable degree of heat or imparting or maintaining heat
From this reading The weather, which for many weeks had been fine and warm, suddenly changed to a spell of cold and wet.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading A Mysterious Happening It was now nearly the end of July.
the atmospheric conditions that comprise the state of the atmosphere in terms of temperature and wind and clouds and precipitation
From this reading The weather, which for many weeks had been fine and warm, suddenly changed to a spell of cold and wet.
plural of “week” — any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading The weather, which for many weeks had been fine and warm, suddenly changed to a spell of cold and wet.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Rain dripped dismally from the eaves, the tennis courts were sodden, and the orchard was a marsh.
covered or soaked with a liquid such as water
From this reading The weather, which for many weeks had been fine and warm, suddenly changed to a spell of cold and wet.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The weather, which for many weeks had been fine and warm, suddenly changed to a spell of cold and wet.
