used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The perfume from a drooping lilac-bush a few feet away from the open casement was mingled with the fainter odour of jessamine and homely stocks.
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading We sat at breakfast in our little sitting-room, and as though by common though unspoken consent we treated the whole affair as a gigantic joke.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading We spoke of it as an "opera-bouffe" attempt never likely to be repeated--the hare-brained scheme of a mad foreigner, over anxious to earn the favour of his mistress.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The perfume from a drooping lilac-bush a few feet away from the open casement was mingled with the fainter odour of jessamine and homely stocks.
eagerly desirous
From this reading We spoke of it as an "opera-bouffe" attempt never likely to be repeated--the hare-brained scheme of a mad foreigner, over anxious to earn the favour of his mistress.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading We sat at breakfast in our little sitting-room, and as though by common though unspoken consent we treated the whole affair as a gigantic joke.
a distinct feature or element in a problem
From this reading We ignored its darker aspect.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading We sat at breakfast in our little sitting-room, and as though by common though unspoken consent we treated the whole affair as a gigantic joke.
earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
From this reading We spoke of it as an "opera-bouffe" attempt never likely to be repeated--the hare-brained scheme of a mad foreigner, over anxious to earn the favour of his mistress.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading The perfume from a drooping lilac-bush a few feet away from the open casement was mingled with the fainter odour of jessamine and homely stocks.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading We spoke of it as an "opera-bouffe" attempt never likely to be repeated--the hare-brained scheme of a mad foreigner, over anxious to earn the favour of his mistress.
eat an early morning meal
From this reading We sat at breakfast in our little sitting-room, and as though by common though unspoken consent we treated the whole affair as a gigantic joke.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading We sat at breakfast in our little sitting-room, and as though by common though unspoken consent we treated the whole affair as a gigantic joke.
casementnoun
a window sash that is hinged (usually on one side)
From this reading The perfume from a drooping lilac-bush a few feet away from the open casement was mingled with the fainter odour of jessamine and homely stocks.
belonging to or participated in by a community as a whole; public
From this reading We sat at breakfast in our little sitting-room, and as though by common though unspoken consent we treated the whole affair as a gigantic joke.
permission to do something
From this reading We sat at breakfast in our little sitting-room, and as though by common though unspoken consent we treated the whole affair as a gigantic joke.
darkeradjectiveUS /ˈdɑːrkər/
comparative of “dark” — devoid of or deficient in light or brightness; shadowed or black
From this reading We ignored its darker aspect.
droopingadjectiveUS /ˈdruːpɪŋ/
weak from exhaustion
From this reading The perfume from a drooping lilac-bush a few feet away from the open casement was mingled with the fainter odour of jessamine and homely stocks.
earnverbUS /ɜːrn/
earn on some commercial or business transaction; earn as salary or wages
From this reading We spoke of it as an "opera-bouffe" attempt never likely to be repeated--the hare-brained scheme of a mad foreigner, over anxious to earn the favour of his mistress.
fainteradjectiveUS /ˈfeɪntər/
comparative of “faint” — deficient in magnitude; barely perceptible; lacking clarity or brightness or loudness etc
From this reading The perfume from a drooping lilac-bush a few feet away from the open casement was mingled with the fainter odour of jessamine and homely stocks.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading In the soft morning sunshine the terrors of last night seemed a thing far removed from us.
a feeling of favorable regard
From this reading We spoke of it as an "opera-bouffe" attempt never likely to be repeated--the hare-brained scheme of a mad foreigner, over anxious to earn the favour of his mistress.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading The perfume from a drooping lilac-bush a few feet away from the open casement was mingled with the fainter odour of jessamine and homely stocks.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading The perfume from a drooping lilac-bush a few feet away from the open casement was mingled with the fainter odour of jessamine and homely stocks.
foreignernounUS /ˈfɔːrənər/
a person who comes from a foreign country; someone who does not owe allegiance to your country
From this reading We spoke of it as an "opera-bouffe" attempt never likely to be repeated--the hare-brained scheme of a mad foreigner, over anxious to earn the favour of his mistress.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The perfume from a drooping lilac-bush a few feet away from the open casement was mingled with the fainter odour of jessamine and homely stocks.
giganticadjectiveUS /dʒaɪˈɡæntɪk/
so exceedingly large or extensive as to suggest a giant or mammoth
From this reading We sat at breakfast in our little sitting-room, and as though by common though unspoken consent we treated the whole affair as a gigantic joke.
hare-brained
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We spoke of it as an "opera-bouffe" attempt never likely to be repeated--the hare-brained scheme of a mad foreigner, over anxious to earn the favour of his mistress.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading We spoke of it as an "opera-bouffe" attempt never likely to be repeated--the hare-brained scheme of a mad foreigner, over anxious to earn the favour of his mistress.
homelyadjectiveUS /ˈhoʊmli/
lacking in physical beauty or proportion
From this reading The perfume from a drooping lilac-bush a few feet away from the open casement was mingled with the fainter odour of jessamine and homely stocks.
ignoredadjectiveUS /ˌɪɡˈnɔːrd/
disregarded
From this reading We ignored its darker aspect.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In the soft morning sunshine the terrors of last night seemed a thing far removed from us.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading We spoke of it as an "opera-bouffe" attempt never likely to be repeated--the hare-brained scheme of a mad foreigner, over anxious to earn the favour of his mistress.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading We ignored its darker aspect.
jessaminenounUS /ˈdʒesəmɪn/
a climbing deciduous shrub with fragrant white or yellow or red flowers used in perfume and to flavor tea
From this reading The perfume from a drooping lilac-bush a few feet away from the open casement was mingled with the fainter odour of jessamine and homely stocks.
a humorous anecdote or remark intended to provoke laughter
From this reading We sat at breakfast in our little sitting-room, and as though by common though unspoken consent we treated the whole affair as a gigantic joke.
immediately past
From this reading In the soft morning sunshine the terrors of last night seemed a thing far removed from us.
has a good chance of being the case or of coming about
From this reading We spoke of it as an "opera-bouffe" attempt never likely to be repeated--the hare-brained scheme of a mad foreigner, over anxious to earn the favour of his mistress.
lilac-bush
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The perfume from a drooping lilac-bush a few feet away from the open casement was mingled with the fainter odour of jessamine and homely stocks.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading We sat at breakfast in our little sitting-room, and as though by common though unspoken consent we treated the whole affair as a gigantic joke.
roused to anger
From this reading We spoke of it as an "opera-bouffe" attempt never likely to be repeated--the hare-brained scheme of a mad foreigner, over anxious to earn the favour of his mistress.
past form of “mingle” — to bring or combine together or with something else
From this reading The perfume from a drooping lilac-bush a few feet away from the open casement was mingled with the fainter odour of jessamine and homely stocks.
an adulterous woman; a woman who has an ongoing extramarital sexual relationship with a man
From this reading We spoke of it as an "opera-bouffe" attempt never likely to be repeated--the hare-brained scheme of a mad foreigner, over anxious to earn the favour of his mistress.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading In the soft morning sunshine the terrors of last night seemed a thing far removed from us.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading We spoke of it as an "opera-bouffe" attempt never likely to be repeated--the hare-brained scheme of a mad foreigner, over anxious to earn the favour of his mistress.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading In the soft morning sunshine the terrors of last night seemed a thing far removed from us.
odournounUS /ˈoʊdər/
the sensation that results when olfactory receptors in the nose are stimulated by particular chemicals in gaseous form
From this reading The perfume from a drooping lilac-bush a few feet away from the open casement was mingled with the fainter odour of jessamine and homely stocks.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The perfume from a drooping lilac-bush a few feet away from the open casement was mingled with the fainter odour of jessamine and homely stocks.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading The perfume from a drooping lilac-bush a few feet away from the open casement was mingled with the fainter odour of jessamine and homely stocks.
opera-bouffe
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We spoke of it as an "opera-bouffe" attempt never likely to be repeated--the hare-brained scheme of a mad foreigner, over anxious to earn the favour of his mistress.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading We sat at breakfast in our little sitting-room, and as though by common though unspoken consent we treated the whole affair as a gigantic joke.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading We spoke of it as an "opera-bouffe" attempt never likely to be repeated--the hare-brained scheme of a mad foreigner, over anxious to earn the favour of his mistress.
perfumenounUS /pərˈfjuːm/
a distinctive odor that is pleasant
From this reading The perfume from a drooping lilac-bush a few feet away from the open casement was mingled with the fainter odour of jessamine and homely stocks.
separated in relationship by a given degree of descent
From this reading In the soft morning sunshine the terrors of last night seemed a thing far removed from us.
recurring again and again
From this reading We spoke of it as an "opera-bouffe" attempt never likely to be repeated--the hare-brained scheme of a mad foreigner, over anxious to earn the favour of his mistress.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading We sat at breakfast in our little sitting-room, and as though by common though unspoken consent we treated the whole affair as a gigantic joke.
an elaborate and systematic plan of action
From this reading We spoke of it as an "opera-bouffe" attempt never likely to be repeated--the hare-brained scheme of a mad foreigner, over anxious to earn the favour of his mistress.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading In the soft morning sunshine the terrors of last night seemed a thing far removed from us.
sitting-room
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We sat at breakfast in our little sitting-room, and as though by common though unspoken consent we treated the whole affair as a gigantic joke.
yielding readily to pressure or weight
From this reading In the soft morning sunshine the terrors of last night seemed a thing far removed from us.
support consisting of a radial member of a wheel joining the hub to the rim
From this reading We spoke of it as an "opera-bouffe" attempt never likely to be repeated--the hare-brained scheme of a mad foreigner, over anxious to earn the favour of his mistress.
stocksnounUS /stɑːks/
a frame that supports a boat while it is under construction
From this reading The perfume from a drooping lilac-bush a few feet away from the open casement was mingled with the fainter odour of jessamine and homely stocks.
the rays of the sun
From this reading In the soft morning sunshine the terrors of last night seemed a thing far removed from us.
terrorsnounUS /ˈterərz/
plural of “terror” — an overwhelming feeling of fear and anxiety
From this reading In the soft morning sunshine the terrors of last night seemed a thing far removed from us.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The perfume from a drooping lilac-bush a few feet away from the open casement was mingled with the fainter odour of jessamine and homely stocks.
a special situation
From this reading In the soft morning sunshine the terrors of last night seemed a thing far removed from us.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading We sat at breakfast in our little sitting-room, and as though by common though unspoken consent we treated the whole affair as a gigantic joke.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading We spoke of it as an "opera-bouffe" attempt never likely to be repeated--the hare-brained scheme of a mad foreigner, over anxious to earn the favour of his mistress.
subjected to a physical (or chemical) treatment or action or agent
From this reading We sat at breakfast in our little sitting-room, and as though by common though unspoken consent we treated the whole affair as a gigantic joke.
unspokenadjectiveUS /ənˈspoʊkən/
expressed without speech
From this reading We sat at breakfast in our little sitting-room, and as though by common though unspoken consent we treated the whole affair as a gigantic joke.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading In the soft morning sunshine the terrors of last night seemed a thing far removed from us.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The perfume from a drooping lilac-bush a few feet away from the open casement was mingled with the fainter odour of jessamine and homely stocks.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading We sat at breakfast in our little sitting-room, and as though by common though unspoken consent we treated the whole affair as a gigantic joke.
including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete
From this reading We sat at breakfast in our little sitting-room, and as though by common though unspoken consent we treated the whole affair as a gigantic joke.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The perfume from a drooping lilac-bush a few feet away from the open casement was mingled with the fainter odour of jessamine and homely stocks.
