used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading She has made of herself a mannequin for the exposition of expensive clothes, costly jewels, and a mass of futile accessories that neither in themselves nor as pointers to an individuality signify anything whatsoever.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading There is an appealing clumsiness in the way the Englishwoman goes about adding her little touches of feminine adornment; the badly tied bow, the awkward bit of lace, making their deprecating bid for favour.
accessoriesnounUS /ækˈsesəriz/
plural of “accessory” — clothing that is worn or carried, but not part of your main clothing
From this reading She has made of herself a mannequin for the exposition of expensive clothes, costly jewels, and a mass of futile accessories that neither in themselves nor as pointers to an individuality signify anything whatsoever.
addingverbUS /ˈædɪŋ/
-ing form of “add” — make an addition (to); join or combine or unite with others; increase the quality, quantity, size or scope of
From this reading There is an appealing clumsiness in the way the Englishwoman goes about adding her little touches of feminine adornment; the badly tied bow, the awkward bit of lace, making their deprecating bid for favour.
adornmentnounUS /əˈdɔːrnmənt/
a decoration of color or interest that is added to relieve plainness
From this reading There is an appealing clumsiness in the way the Englishwoman goes about adding her little touches of feminine adornment; the badly tied bow, the awkward bit of lace, making their deprecating bid for favour.
(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 Frenchwoman, with her seductive devices of alternate concealment and daring displays, lays constant emphasis on the two outstanding charms of all femininity: mystery and change.
allures
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For this reason, the American woman bores us with her vanity, where the Englishwoman rouses our tenderness, and the Frenchwoman piques and allures.
alternateadjectiveUS /ˈɔːltərnət/
every second one of a series
From this reading The Frenchwoman, with her seductive devices of alternate concealment and daring displays, lays constant emphasis on the two outstanding charms of all femininity: mystery and change.
a native or inhabitant of the United States
From this reading For this reason, the American woman bores us with her vanity, where the Englishwoman rouses our tenderness, and the Frenchwoman piques and allures.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading There is an appealing clumsiness in the way the Englishwoman goes about adding her little touches of feminine adornment; the badly tied bow, the awkward bit of lace, making their deprecating bid for favour.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading For this reason, the American woman bores us with her vanity, where the Englishwoman rouses our tenderness, and the Frenchwoman piques and allures.
any thing at all
From this reading She has made of herself a mannequin for the exposition of expensive clothes, costly jewels, and a mass of futile accessories that neither in themselves nor as pointers to an individuality signify anything whatsoever.
appealingadjectiveUS /əˈpiːlɪŋ/
able to attract interest or draw favorable attention
From this reading There is an appealing clumsiness in the way the Englishwoman goes about adding her little touches of feminine adornment; the badly tied bow, the awkward bit of lace, making their deprecating bid for favour.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading But when we come to the American woman we are confronted with that most depressing of personalities, the stereotyped.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading She has made of herself a mannequin for the exposition of expensive clothes, costly jewels, and a mass of futile accessories that neither in themselves nor as pointers to an individuality signify anything whatsoever.
awkwardadjectiveUS /ˈɑːkwərd/
causing inconvenience
From this reading There is an appealing clumsiness in the way the Englishwoman goes about adding her little touches of feminine adornment; the badly tied bow, the awkward bit of lace, making their deprecating bid for favour.
to a severe or serious degree
From this reading There is an appealing clumsiness in the way the Englishwoman goes about adding her little touches of feminine adornment; the badly tied bow, the awkward bit of lace, making their deprecating bid for favour.
propose a payment
From this reading There is an appealing clumsiness in the way the Englishwoman goes about adding her little touches of feminine adornment; the badly tied bow, the awkward bit of lace, making their deprecating bid for favour.
a small piece or quantity of something
From this reading There is an appealing clumsiness in the way the Englishwoman goes about adding her little touches of feminine adornment; the badly tied bow, the awkward bit of lace, making their deprecating bid for favour.
boresnounUS /bɔːrz/
plural of “bore” — a person who evokes boredom
From this reading For this reason, the American woman bores us with her vanity, where the Englishwoman rouses our tenderness, and the Frenchwoman piques and allures.
a knot with two loops and loose ends; used to tie shoelaces
From this reading There is an appealing clumsiness in the way the Englishwoman goes about adding her little touches of feminine adornment; the badly tied bow, the awkward bit of lace, making their deprecating bid for favour.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But when we come to the American woman we are confronted with that most depressing of personalities, the stereotyped.
cause to change; make different; cause a transformation
From this reading The Frenchwoman, with her seductive devices of alternate concealment and daring displays, lays constant emphasis on the two outstanding charms of all femininity: mystery and change.
charmsnounUS /tʃɑːrmz/
plural of “charm” — attractiveness that interests or pleases or stimulates
From this reading The Frenchwoman, with her seductive devices of alternate concealment and daring displays, lays constant emphasis on the two outstanding charms of all femininity: mystery and change.
clothing in general
From this reading She has made of herself a mannequin for the exposition of expensive clothes, costly jewels, and a mass of futile accessories that neither in themselves nor as pointers to an individuality signify anything whatsoever.
clumsinessnounUS /ˈklʌmzinəs/
unskillfulness resulting from a lack of training
From this reading There is an appealing clumsiness in the way the Englishwoman goes about adding her little touches of feminine adornment; the badly tied bow, the awkward bit of lace, making their deprecating bid for favour.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading But when we come to the American woman we are confronted with that most depressing of personalities, the stereotyped.
concealmentnounUS /kənˈsiːlmənt/
the condition of being concealed or hidden
From this reading The Frenchwoman, with her seductive devices of alternate concealment and daring displays, lays constant emphasis on the two outstanding charms of all femininity: mystery and change.
confrontedverbUS /kənˈfrʌntəd/
past form of “confront” — oppose, as in hostility or a competition
From this reading But when we come to the American woman we are confronted with that most depressing of personalities, the stereotyped.
unvarying in nature
From this reading The Frenchwoman, with her seductive devices of alternate concealment and daring displays, lays constant emphasis on the two outstanding charms of all femininity: mystery and change.
costlyadjectiveUS /ˈkɑːstli/
entailing great loss or sacrifice
From this reading She has made of herself a mannequin for the exposition of expensive clothes, costly jewels, and a mass of futile accessories that neither in themselves nor as pointers to an individuality signify anything whatsoever.
a challenge to do something dangerous or foolhardy
From this reading The Frenchwoman, with her seductive devices of alternate concealment and daring displays, lays constant emphasis on the two outstanding charms of all femininity: mystery and change.
deprecatingadjectiveUS /ˈdeprəkeɪtɪŋ/
tending to diminish or disparage
From this reading There is an appealing clumsiness in the way the Englishwoman goes about adding her little touches of feminine adornment; the badly tied bow, the awkward bit of lace, making their deprecating bid for favour.
depressingadjectiveUS /dɪˈpresɪŋ/
causing sad feelings of gloom and inadequacy
From this reading But when we come to the American woman we are confronted with that most depressing of personalities, the stereotyped.
devicesnounUS /dɪˈvaɪsəz/
an inclination or desire; used in the plural in the phrase “left to your own devices”
From this reading The Frenchwoman, with her seductive devices of alternate concealment and daring displays, lays constant emphasis on the two outstanding charms of all femininity: mystery and change.
displaysnounUS /dɪˈspleɪz/
plural of “display” — something intended to communicate a particular impression
From this reading The Frenchwoman, with her seductive devices of alternate concealment and daring displays, lays constant emphasis on the two outstanding charms of all femininity: mystery and change.
emphasisnounUS /ˈemfəsəs/
special importance or significance
From this reading The Frenchwoman, with her seductive devices of alternate concealment and daring displays, lays constant emphasis on the two outstanding charms of all femininity: mystery and change.
EnglishwomannounUS /ˈɪŋɡlɪʃwʊmən/
a woman who is a native or inhabitant of England
From this reading For this reason, the American woman bores us with her vanity, where the Englishwoman rouses our tenderness, and the Frenchwoman piques and allures.
expensiveadjectiveUS /ɪkˈspensɪv/
high in price or charging high prices
From this reading She has made of herself a mannequin for the exposition of expensive clothes, costly jewels, and a mass of futile accessories that neither in themselves nor as pointers to an individuality signify anything whatsoever.
expositionnounUS /ˌekspəˈzɪʃən/
a systematic interpretation or explanation (usually written) of a specific topic
From this reading She has made of herself a mannequin for the exposition of expensive clothes, costly jewels, and a mass of futile accessories that neither in themselves nor as pointers to an individuality signify anything whatsoever.
a feeling of favorable regard
From this reading There is an appealing clumsiness in the way the Englishwoman goes about adding her little touches of feminine adornment; the badly tied bow, the awkward bit of lace, making their deprecating bid for favour.
feminineadjectiveUS /ˈfemənən/
associated with women and not with men
From this reading There is an appealing clumsiness in the way the Englishwoman goes about adding her little touches of feminine adornment; the badly tied bow, the awkward bit of lace, making their deprecating bid for favour.
femininitynounUS /ˌfeməˈnɪnəti/
the trait of behaving in ways considered typical for women
From this reading The Frenchwoman, with her seductive devices of alternate concealment and daring displays, lays constant emphasis on the two outstanding charms of all femininity: mystery and change.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For this reason, the American woman bores us with her vanity, where the Englishwoman rouses our tenderness, and the Frenchwoman piques and allures.
Frenchwomannoun
a person of French nationality
From this reading For this reason, the American woman bores us with her vanity, where the Englishwoman rouses our tenderness, and the Frenchwoman piques and allures.
futileadjectiveUS /ˈfjuːtəl/
producing no result or effect
From this reading She has made of herself a mannequin for the exposition of expensive clothes, costly jewels, and a mass of futile accessories that neither in themselves nor as pointers to an individuality signify anything whatsoever.
plural of “go” — a time period for working (after which you will be relieved by someone else)
From this reading There is an appealing clumsiness in the way the Englishwoman goes about adding her little touches of feminine adornment; the badly tied bow, the awkward bit of lace, making their deprecating bid for favour.
hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading She has made of herself a mannequin for the exposition of expensive clothes, costly jewels, and a mass of futile accessories that neither in themselves nor as pointers to an individuality signify anything whatsoever.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading For this reason, the American woman bores us with her vanity, where the Englishwoman rouses our tenderness, and the Frenchwoman piques and allures.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading She has made of herself a mannequin for the exposition of expensive clothes, costly jewels, and a mass of futile accessories that neither in themselves nor as pointers to an individuality signify anything whatsoever.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading There is an appealing clumsiness in the way the Englishwoman goes about adding her little touches of feminine adornment; the badly tied bow, the awkward bit of lace, making their deprecating bid for favour.
individualitynounUS /ˌɪndɪvɪdʒuːˈælɪti/
the quality of being individual
From this reading She has made of herself a mannequin for the exposition of expensive clothes, costly jewels, and a mass of futile accessories that neither in themselves nor as pointers to an individuality signify anything whatsoever.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There is an appealing clumsiness in the way the Englishwoman goes about adding her little touches of feminine adornment; the badly tied bow, the awkward bit of lace, making their deprecating bid for favour.
jewelsnounUS /ˈdʒuːəlz/
plural of “jewel” — a precious or semiprecious stone incorporated into a piece of jewelry
From this reading She has made of herself a mannequin for the exposition of expensive clothes, costly jewels, and a mass of futile accessories that neither in themselves nor as pointers to an individuality signify anything whatsoever.
laceverbUS /leɪs/
spin, wind, or twist together
From this reading There is an appealing clumsiness in the way the Englishwoman goes about adding her little touches of feminine adornment; the badly tied bow, the awkward bit of lace, making their deprecating bid for favour.
laysnounUS /leɪz/
plural of “lay” — a narrative song with a recurrent refrain
From this reading The Frenchwoman, with her seductive devices of alternate concealment and daring displays, lays constant emphasis on the two outstanding charms of all femininity: mystery and change.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading There is an appealing clumsiness in the way the Englishwoman goes about adding her little touches of feminine adornment; the badly tied bow, the awkward bit of lace, making their deprecating bid for favour.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading She has made of herself a mannequin for the exposition of expensive clothes, costly jewels, and a mass of futile accessories that neither in themselves nor as pointers to an individuality signify anything whatsoever.
the act that results in something coming to be
From this reading There is an appealing clumsiness in the way the Englishwoman goes about adding her little touches of feminine adornment; the badly tied bow, the awkward bit of lace, making their deprecating bid for favour.
mannequinnounUS /ˈmænəkɪn/
a woman who wears clothes to display fashions
From this reading She has made of herself a mannequin for the exposition of expensive clothes, costly jewels, and a mass of futile accessories that neither in themselves nor as pointers to an individuality signify anything whatsoever.
the property of a body that causes it to have weight in a gravitational field
From this reading She has made of herself a mannequin for the exposition of expensive clothes, costly jewels, and a mass of futile accessories that neither in themselves nor as pointers to an individuality signify anything whatsoever.
used to form the superlative
From this reading But when we come to the American woman we are confronted with that most depressing of personalities, the stereotyped.
something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained
From this reading The Frenchwoman, with her seductive devices of alternate concealment and daring displays, lays constant emphasis on the two outstanding charms of all femininity: mystery and change.
not one and not the other of two
From this reading She has made of herself a mannequin for the exposition of expensive clothes, costly jewels, and a mass of futile accessories that neither in themselves nor as pointers to an individuality signify anything whatsoever.
and not; used after a negative to add a second negative
From this reading She has made of herself a mannequin for the exposition of expensive clothes, costly jewels, and a mass of futile accessories that neither in themselves nor as pointers to an individuality signify anything whatsoever.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading There is an appealing clumsiness in the way the Englishwoman goes about adding her little touches of feminine adornment; the badly tied bow, the awkward bit of lace, making their deprecating bid for favour.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The Frenchwoman, with her seductive devices of alternate concealment and daring displays, lays constant emphasis on the two outstanding charms of all femininity: mystery and change.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading For this reason, the American woman bores us with her vanity, where the Englishwoman rouses our tenderness, and the Frenchwoman piques and allures.
outstandingadjectiveUS /ˌaʊtˈstændɪŋ/
distinguished from others in excellence
From this reading The Frenchwoman, with her seductive devices of alternate concealment and daring displays, lays constant emphasis on the two outstanding charms of all femininity: mystery and change.
personalitiesnounUS /ˌpɜːrsəˈnælɪtiz/
plural of “personality” — the complex of all the attributes--behavioral, temperamental, emotional and mental--that characterize a unique individual
From this reading But when we come to the American woman we are confronted with that most depressing of personalities, the stereotyped.
piques
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For this reason, the American woman bores us with her vanity, where the Englishwoman rouses our tenderness, and the Frenchwoman piques and allures.
pointersnounUS /ˈpɔɪntərz/
plural of “pointer” — a mark to indicate a direction or relation
From this reading She has made of herself a mannequin for the exposition of expensive clothes, costly jewels, and a mass of futile accessories that neither in themselves nor as pointers to an individuality signify anything whatsoever.
a rational motive for a belief or action
From this reading For this reason, the American woman bores us with her vanity, where the Englishwoman rouses our tenderness, and the Frenchwoman piques and allures.
rouses
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For this reason, the American woman bores us with her vanity, where the Englishwoman rouses our tenderness, and the Frenchwoman piques and allures.
seductiveadjectiveUS /sɪˈdʌktɪv/
tending to entice into a desired action or state
From this reading The Frenchwoman, with her seductive devices of alternate concealment and daring displays, lays constant emphasis on the two outstanding charms of all femininity: mystery and change.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She has made of herself a mannequin for the exposition of expensive clothes, costly jewels, and a mass of futile accessories that neither in themselves nor as pointers to an individuality signify anything whatsoever.
signifyverbUS /ˈsɪɡnəfaɪ/
denote or connote
From this reading She has made of herself a mannequin for the exposition of expensive clothes, costly jewels, and a mass of futile accessories that neither in themselves nor as pointers to an individuality signify anything whatsoever.
stereotypedadjectiveUS /ˈsteriətaɪpt/
lacking spontaneity or originality or individuality
From this reading But when we come to the American woman we are confronted with that most depressing of personalities, the stereotyped.
a tendency to express warm and affectionate feeling
From this reading For this reason, the American woman bores us with her vanity, where the Englishwoman rouses our tenderness, and the Frenchwoman piques and allures.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading But when we come to the American woman we are confronted with that most depressing of personalities, the stereotyped.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading For this reason, the American woman bores us with her vanity, where the Englishwoman rouses our tenderness, and the Frenchwoman piques and allures.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading There is an appealing clumsiness in the way the Englishwoman goes about adding her little touches of feminine adornment; the badly tied bow, the awkward bit of lace, making their deprecating bid for favour.
used when the people doing the action are also its object
From this reading She has made of herself a mannequin for the exposition of expensive clothes, costly jewels, and a mass of futile accessories that neither in themselves nor as pointers to an individuality signify anything whatsoever.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There is an appealing clumsiness in the way the Englishwoman goes about adding her little touches of feminine adornment; the badly tied bow, the awkward bit of lace, making their deprecating bid for favour.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading For this reason, the American woman bores us with her vanity, where the Englishwoman rouses our tenderness, and the Frenchwoman piques and allures.
bound or secured closely
From this reading There is an appealing clumsiness in the way the Englishwoman goes about adding her little touches of feminine adornment; the badly tied bow, the awkward bit of lace, making their deprecating bid for favour.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading But when we come to the American woman we are confronted with that most depressing of personalities, the stereotyped.
touchesnounUS /ˈtʌtʃəz/
plural of “touch” — the event of something coming in contact with the body
From this reading There is an appealing clumsiness in the way the Englishwoman goes about adding her little touches of feminine adornment; the badly tied bow, the awkward bit of lace, making their deprecating bid for favour.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading The Frenchwoman, with her seductive devices of alternate concealment and daring displays, lays constant emphasis on the two outstanding charms of all femininity: mystery and change.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading For this reason, the American woman bores us with her vanity, where the Englishwoman rouses our tenderness, and the Frenchwoman piques and allures.
vanitynounUS /ˈvænəti/
feelings of excessive pride
From this reading For this reason, the American woman bores us with her vanity, where the Englishwoman rouses our tenderness, and the Frenchwoman piques and allures.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading There is an appealing clumsiness in the way the Englishwoman goes about adding her little touches of feminine adornment; the badly tied bow, the awkward bit of lace, making their deprecating bid for favour.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading But when we come to the American woman we are confronted with that most depressing of personalities, the stereotyped.
whatsoeveradjectiveUS /ˌwʌtsoʊˈevər/
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading She has made of herself a mannequin for the exposition of expensive clothes, costly jewels, and a mass of futile accessories that neither in themselves nor as pointers to an individuality signify anything whatsoever.
at the time that
From this reading But when we come to the American woman we are confronted with that most depressing of personalities, the stereotyped.
in or at the place that
From this reading For this reason, the American woman bores us with her vanity, where the Englishwoman rouses our tenderness, and the Frenchwoman piques and allures.
in the company of; together with
From this reading For this reason, the American woman bores us with her vanity, where the Englishwoman rouses our tenderness, and the Frenchwoman piques and allures.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading For this reason, the American woman bores us with her vanity, where the Englishwoman rouses our tenderness, and the Frenchwoman piques and allures.
