used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading What did it mean, she wondered, when her mistress went out with tired eyes and pallid cheeks, and came home with the colour of a rose and eyes like stars, humming an old French love-song, and her feet moving all the time to some unheard music?
(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 What did it mean, she wondered, when her mistress went out with tired eyes and pallid cheeks, and came home with the colour of a rose and eyes like stars, humming an old French love-song, and her feet moving all the time to some unheard music?
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading What did it mean, she wondered, when her mistress went out with tired eyes and pallid cheeks, and came home with the colour of a rose and eyes like stars, humming an old French love-song, and her feet moving all the time to some unheard music?
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading What did it mean, she wondered, when her mistress went out with tired eyes and pallid cheeks, and came home with the colour of a rose and eyes like stars, humming an old French love-song, and her feet moving all the time to some unheard music?
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading MAN TO MAN Hortense smiled softly to herself as she laid down the ivory-backed brushes.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At last, then, the household was to be properly established.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading At last, then, the household was to be properly established.
brushesnounUS /ˈbrʌʃɪz/
plural of “brush” — a dense growth of bushes
From this reading MAN TO MAN Hortense smiled softly to herself as she laid down the ivory-backed brushes.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading What did it mean, she wondered, when her mistress went out with tired eyes and pallid cheeks, and came home with the colour of a rose and eyes like stars, humming an old French love-song, and her feet moving all the time to some unheard music?
plural of “cheek” — either side of the face below the eyes
From this reading What did it mean, she wondered, when her mistress went out with tired eyes and pallid cheeks, and came home with the colour of a rose and eyes like stars, humming an old French love-song, and her feet moving all the time to some unheard music?
having or capable of producing colors
From this reading What did it mean, she wondered, when her mistress went out with tired eyes and pallid cheeks, and came home with the colour of a rose and eyes like stars, humming an old French love-song, and her feet moving all the time to some unheard music?
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading What did it mean, she wondered, when her mistress went out with tired eyes and pallid cheeks, and came home with the colour of a rose and eyes like stars, humming an old French love-song, and her feet moving all the time to some unheard music?
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading MAN TO MAN Hortense smiled softly to herself as she laid down the ivory-backed brushes.
brought about or set up or accepted; especially long established
From this reading At last, then, the household was to be properly established.
opinion or judgment
From this reading What did it mean, she wondered, when her mistress went out with tired eyes and pallid cheeks, and came home with the colour of a rose and eyes like stars, humming an old French love-song, and her feet moving all the time to some unheard music?
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading What did it mean, she wondered, when her mistress went out with tired eyes and pallid cheeks, and came home with the colour of a rose and eyes like stars, humming an old French love-song, and her feet moving all the time to some unheard music?
the Romance language spoken in France and in countries colonized by France
From this reading What did it mean, she wondered, when her mistress went out with tired eyes and pallid cheeks, and came home with the colour of a rose and eyes like stars, humming an old French love-song, and her feet moving all the time to some unheard music?
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading It was years since she had seen her like this!
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading What did it mean, she wondered, when her mistress went out with tired eyes and pallid cheeks, and came home with the colour of a rose and eyes like stars, humming an old French love-song, and her feet moving all the time to some unheard music?
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading MAN TO MAN Hortense smiled softly to herself as she laid down the ivory-backed brushes.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading What did it mean, she wondered, when her mistress went out with tired eyes and pallid cheeks, and came home with the colour of a rose and eyes like stars, humming an old French love-song, and her feet moving all the time to some unheard music?
Hortense
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading MAN TO MAN Hortense smiled softly to herself as she laid down the ivory-backed brushes.
a social unit living together
From this reading At last, then, the household was to be properly established.
hummingnounUS /ˈhʌmɪŋ/
a humming noise
From this reading What did it mean, she wondered, when her mistress went out with tired eyes and pallid cheeks, and came home with the colour of a rose and eyes like stars, humming an old French love-song, and her feet moving all the time to some unheard music?
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading What did it mean, she wondered, when her mistress went out with tired eyes and pallid cheeks, and came home with the colour of a rose and eyes like stars, humming an old French love-song, and her feet moving all the time to some unheard music?
ivory-backed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading MAN TO MAN Hortense smiled softly to herself as she laid down the ivory-backed brushes.
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 Hortense knew the signs and was well pleased.
set down according to a plan
From this reading MAN TO MAN Hortense smiled softly to herself as she laid down the ivory-backed brushes.
immediately past
From this reading At last, then, the household was to be properly established.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading What did it mean, she wondered, when her mistress went out with tired eyes and pallid cheeks, and came home with the colour of a rose and eyes like stars, humming an old French love-song, and her feet moving all the time to some unheard music?
love-songnoun
a song about love or expressing love for another person
From this reading What did it mean, she wondered, when her mistress went out with tired eyes and pallid cheeks, and came home with the colour of a rose and eyes like stars, humming an old French love-song, and her feet moving all the time to some unheard music?
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading MAN TO MAN Hortense smiled softly to herself as she laid down the ivory-backed brushes.
mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading What did it mean, she wondered, when her mistress went out with tired eyes and pallid cheeks, and came home with the colour of a rose and eyes like stars, humming an old French love-song, and her feet moving all the time to some unheard music?
an adulterous woman; a woman who has an ongoing extramarital sexual relationship with a man
From this reading What did it mean, she wondered, when her mistress went out with tired eyes and pallid cheeks, and came home with the colour of a rose and eyes like stars, humming an old French love-song, and her feet moving all the time to some unheard music?
in motion
From this reading What did it mean, she wondered, when her mistress went out with tired eyes and pallid cheeks, and came home with the colour of a rose and eyes like stars, humming an old French love-song, and her feet moving all the time to some unheard music?
an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner
From this reading What did it mean, she wondered, when her mistress went out with tired eyes and pallid cheeks, and came home with the colour of a rose and eyes like stars, humming an old French love-song, and her feet moving all the time to some unheard music?
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading What did it mean, she wondered, when her mistress went out with tired eyes and pallid cheeks, and came home with the colour of a rose and eyes like stars, humming an old French love-song, and her feet moving all the time to some unheard music?
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading What did it mean, she wondered, when her mistress went out with tired eyes and pallid cheeks, and came home with the colour of a rose and eyes like stars, humming an old French love-song, and her feet moving all the time to some unheard music?
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading What did it mean, she wondered, when her mistress went out with tired eyes and pallid cheeks, and came home with the colour of a rose and eyes like stars, humming an old French love-song, and her feet moving all the time to some unheard music?
pallidadjectiveUS /ˈpæləd/
abnormally deficient in color as suggesting physical or emotional distress
From this reading What did it mean, she wondered, when her mistress went out with tired eyes and pallid cheeks, and came home with the colour of a rose and eyes like stars, humming an old French love-song, and her feet moving all the time to some unheard music?
experiencing or manifesting pleasure
From this reading Hortense knew the signs and was well pleased.
in the right manner; correctly; suitably
From this reading At last, then, the household was to be properly established.
any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses
From this reading What did it mean, she wondered, when her mistress went out with tired eyes and pallid cheeks, and came home with the colour of a rose and eyes like stars, humming an old French love-song, and her feet moving all the time to some unheard music?
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading It was years since she had seen her like this!
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading MAN TO MAN Hortense smiled softly to herself as she laid down the ivory-backed brushes.
plural of “sign” — a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)
From this reading Hortense knew the signs and was well pleased.
sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/
from a time in the past until now
From this reading It was years since she had seen her like this!
past form of “smile” — change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure
From this reading MAN TO MAN Hortense smiled softly to herself as she laid down the ivory-backed brushes.
with low volume
From this reading MAN TO MAN Hortense smiled softly to herself as she laid down the ivory-backed brushes.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading What did it mean, she wondered, when her mistress went out with tired eyes and pallid cheeks, and came home with the colour of a rose and eyes like stars, humming an old French love-song, and her feet moving all the time to some unheard music?
plural of “star” — (astronomy) a celestial body of hot gases that radiates energy derived from thermonuclear reactions in the interior
From this reading What did it mean, she wondered, when her mistress went out with tired eyes and pallid cheeks, and came home with the colour of a rose and eyes like stars, humming an old French love-song, and her feet moving all the time to some unheard music?
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading MAN TO MAN Hortense smiled softly to herself as she laid down the ivory-backed brushes.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading At last, then, the household was to be properly established.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading It was years since she had seen her like this!
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading What did it mean, she wondered, when her mistress went out with tired eyes and pallid cheeks, and came home with the colour of a rose and eyes like stars, humming an old French love-song, and her feet moving all the time to some unheard music?
tiredadjectiveUS /ˈtaɪərd/
depleted of strength or energy
From this reading What did it mean, she wondered, when her mistress went out with tired eyes and pallid cheeks, and came home with the colour of a rose and eyes like stars, humming an old French love-song, and her feet moving all the time to some unheard music?
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading MAN TO MAN Hortense smiled softly to herself as she laid down the ivory-backed brushes.
unheardadjectiveUS /ənˈhɜːrd/
not necessarily inaudible but not heard
From this reading What did it mean, she wondered, when her mistress went out with tired eyes and pallid cheeks, and came home with the colour of a rose and eyes like stars, humming an old French love-song, and her feet moving all the time to some unheard music?
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was years since she had seen her like this!
(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 Hortense knew the signs and was well pleased.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading What did it mean, she wondered, when her mistress went out with tired eyes and pallid cheeks, and came home with the colour of a rose and eyes like stars, humming an old French love-song, and her feet moving all the time to some unheard music?
used to ask for information about something
From this reading What did it mean, she wondered, when her mistress went out with tired eyes and pallid cheeks, and came home with the colour of a rose and eyes like stars, humming an old French love-song, and her feet moving all the time to some unheard music?
at the time that
From this reading What did it mean, she wondered, when her mistress went out with tired eyes and pallid cheeks, and came home with the colour of a rose and eyes like stars, humming an old French love-song, and her feet moving all the time to some unheard music?
in the company of; together with
From this reading What did it mean, she wondered, when her mistress went out with tired eyes and pallid cheeks, and came home with the colour of a rose and eyes like stars, humming an old French love-song, and her feet moving all the time to some unheard music?
past form of “wonder” — have a wish or desire to know something
From this reading What did it mean, she wondered, when her mistress went out with tired eyes and pallid cheeks, and came home with the colour of a rose and eyes like stars, humming an old French love-song, and her feet moving all the time to some unheard music?
a late time of life
From this reading It was years since she had seen her like this!
