adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Mrs. Strickland’s sister was older than she, not unlike her, but more faded; and she had the efficient air, as though she carried the British Empire in her pocket, which the wives of senior officers acquire from the consciousness of belonging to a superior caste.
acquireverbUS /əˈkwaɪər/
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading Mrs. Strickland’s sister was older than she, not unlike her, but more faded; and she had the efficient air, as though she carried the British Empire in her pocket, which the wives of senior officers acquire from the consciousness of belonging to a superior caste.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading When I reached London I found waiting for me an urgent request that I should go to Mrs. Strickland’s as soon after dinner as I could.
airnounUS /er/
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading Mrs. Strickland’s sister was older than she, not unlike her, but more faded; and she had the efficient air, as though she carried the British Empire in her pocket, which the wives of senior officers acquire from the consciousness of belonging to a superior caste.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading When I reached London I found waiting for me an urgent request that I should go to Mrs. Strickland’s as soon after dinner as I could.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I found her with Colonel MacAndrew and his wife.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading When I reached London I found waiting for me an urgent request that I should go to Mrs. Strickland’s as soon after dinner as I could.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Her manner was brisk, and her good-breeding scarcely concealed her conviction that if you were not a soldier you might as well be a counter-jumper.
belongingnounUS /bɪˈlɔːŋɪŋ/
happiness felt in a secure relationship
From this reading Mrs. Strickland’s sister was older than she, not unlike her, but more faded; and she had the efficient air, as though she carried the British Empire in her pocket, which the wives of senior officers acquire from the consciousness of belonging to a superior caste.
briskadjectiveUS /brɪsk/
quick and energetic
From this reading Her manner was brisk, and her good-breeding scarcely concealed her conviction that if you were not a soldier you might as well be a counter-jumper.
BritishnounUS /ˈbrɪtɪʃ/
the people of Great Britain
From this reading Mrs. Strickland’s sister was older than she, not unlike her, but more faded; and she had the efficient air, as though she carried the British Empire in her pocket, which the wives of senior officers acquire from the consciousness of belonging to a superior caste.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Mrs. Strickland’s sister was older than she, not unlike her, but more faded; and she had the efficient air, as though she carried the British Empire in her pocket, which the wives of senior officers acquire from the consciousness of belonging to a superior caste.
callingnounUS /ˈkɔːlɪŋ/
the particular occupation for which you are trained
From this reading She hated the Guards, whom she thought conceited, and she could not trust herself to speak of their ladies, who were so remiss in calling.
carriedverbUS /ˈkærid/
inflected form of “carry” — move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body
From this reading Mrs. Strickland’s sister was older than she, not unlike her, but more faded; and she had the efficient air, as though she carried the British Empire in her pocket, which the wives of senior officers acquire from the consciousness of belonging to a superior caste.
castenounUS /kæst/
social status or position conferred by a system based on class
From this reading Mrs. Strickland’s sister was older than she, not unlike her, but more faded; and she had the efficient air, as though she carried the British Empire in her pocket, which the wives of senior officers acquire from the consciousness of belonging to a superior caste.
ColonelnounUS /ˈkɜːrnəl/
a commissioned military officer in the United States Army or Air Force or Marines who ranks above a lieutenant colonel and below a brigadier general
From this reading I found her with Colonel MacAndrew and his wife.
concealedadjectiveUS /kənˈsiːld/
not accessible to view
From this reading Her manner was brisk, and her good-breeding scarcely concealed her conviction that if you were not a soldier you might as well be a counter-jumper.
conceitedadjectiveUS /kənˈsiːtəd/
characteristic of false pride; having an exaggerated sense of self-importance
From this reading She hated the Guards, whom she thought conceited, and she could not trust herself to speak of their ladies, who were so remiss in calling.
consciousnessnounUS /ˈkɑːnʃəsnəs/
an alert cognitive state in which you are aware of yourself and your situation
From this reading Mrs. Strickland’s sister was older than she, not unlike her, but more faded; and she had the efficient air, as though she carried the British Empire in her pocket, which the wives of senior officers acquire from the consciousness of belonging to a superior caste.
convictionnounUS /kənˈvɪkʃən/
an unshakable belief in something without need for proof or evidence
From this reading Her manner was brisk, and her good-breeding scarcely concealed her conviction that if you were not a soldier you might as well be a counter-jumper.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading When I reached London I found waiting for me an urgent request that I should go to Mrs. Strickland’s as soon after dinner as I could.
counter-jumper
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Her manner was brisk, and her good-breeding scarcely concealed her conviction that if you were not a soldier you might as well be a counter-jumper.
dinnernounUS /ˈdɪnər/
the main meal of the day served in the evening or at midday
From this reading When I reached London I found waiting for me an urgent request that I should go to Mrs. Strickland’s as soon after dinner as I could.
efficientadjectiveUS /ɪˈfɪʃənt/
being effective without wasting time or effort or expense
From this reading Mrs. Strickland’s sister was older than she, not unlike her, but more faded; and she had the efficient air, as though she carried the British Empire in her pocket, which the wives of senior officers acquire from the consciousness of belonging to a superior caste.
EmpirenounUS /ˈempaɪər/
the domain ruled by an emperor or empress; the region over which imperial dominion is exercised
From this reading Mrs. Strickland’s sister was older than she, not unlike her, but more faded; and she had the efficient air, as though she carried the British Empire in her pocket, which the wives of senior officers acquire from the consciousness of belonging to a superior caste.
fadedadjectiveUS /ˈfeɪdəd/
having lost freshness or brilliance of color
From this reading Mrs. Strickland’s sister was older than she, not unlike her, but more faded; and she had the efficient air, as though she carried the British Empire in her pocket, which the wives of senior officers acquire from the consciousness of belonging to a superior caste.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading When I reached London I found waiting for me an urgent request that I should go to Mrs. Strickland’s as soon after dinner as I could.
foundverbUS /faʊnd/
set up or found
From this reading When I reached London I found waiting for me an urgent request that I should go to Mrs. Strickland’s as soon after dinner as I could.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Mrs. Strickland’s sister was older than she, not unlike her, but more faded; and she had the efficient air, as though she carried the British Empire in her pocket, which the wives of senior officers acquire from the consciousness of belonging to a superior caste.
goverbUS /ɡoʊ/
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading When I reached London I found waiting for me an urgent request that I should go to Mrs. Strickland’s as soon after dinner as I could.
good-breeding
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Her manner was brisk, and her good-breeding scarcely concealed her conviction that if you were not a soldier you might as well be a counter-jumper.
GuardsnounUS /ɡɑːrdz/
plural of “guard” — a person who keeps watch over something or someone
From this reading She hated the Guards, whom she thought conceited, and she could not trust herself to speak of their ladies, who were so remiss in calling.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Mrs. Strickland’s sister was older than she, not unlike her, but more faded; and she had the efficient air, as though she carried the British Empire in her pocket, which the wives of senior officers acquire from the consciousness of belonging to a superior caste.
hatedadjectiveUS /ˈheɪtəd/
treated with dislike or contempt
From this reading She hated the Guards, whom she thought conceited, and she could not trust herself to speak of their ladies, who were so remiss in calling.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading I found her with Colonel MacAndrew and his wife.
herselfpronounUS /hərˈself/
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading She hated the Guards, whom she thought conceited, and she could not trust herself to speak of their ladies, who were so remiss in calling.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading I found her with Colonel MacAndrew and his wife.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading When I reached London I found waiting for me an urgent request that I should go to Mrs. Strickland’s as soon after dinner as I could.
ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading Her manner was brisk, and her good-breeding scarcely concealed her conviction that if you were not a soldier you might as well be a counter-jumper.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Mrs. Strickland’s sister was older than she, not unlike her, but more faded; and she had the efficient air, as though she carried the British Empire in her pocket, which the wives of senior officers acquire from the consciousness of belonging to a superior caste.
ladiesnounUS /ˈleɪdiz/
plural of “lady” — a polite name for any woman
From this reading She hated the Guards, whom she thought conceited, and she could not trust herself to speak of their ladies, who were so remiss in calling.
LondonnounUS /ˈlʌndən/
the capital and largest city of England; located on the Thames in southeastern England; financial and industrial and cultural center
From this reading When I reached London I found waiting for me an urgent request that I should go to Mrs. Strickland’s as soon after dinner as I could.
MacAndrew
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I found her with Colonel MacAndrew and his wife.
mannernounUS /ˈmænər/
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading Her manner was brisk, and her good-breeding scarcely concealed her conviction that if you were not a soldier you might as well be a counter-jumper.
mepronounUS /miː/
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading When I reached London I found waiting for me an urgent request that I should go to Mrs. Strickland’s as soon after dinner as I could.
mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading Her manner was brisk, and her good-breeding scarcely concealed her conviction that if you were not a soldier you might as well be a counter-jumper.
moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Mrs. Strickland’s sister was older than she, not unlike her, but more faded; and she had the efficient air, as though she carried the British Empire in her pocket, which the wives of senior officers acquire from the consciousness of belonging to a superior caste.
MrsnounUS /ˈmɪsɪz/
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading When I reached London I found waiting for me an urgent request that I should go to Mrs. Strickland’s as soon after dinner as I could.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Mrs. Strickland’s sister was older than she, not unlike her, but more faded; and she had the efficient air, as though she carried the British Empire in her pocket, which the wives of senior officers acquire from the consciousness of belonging to a superior caste.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Mrs. Strickland’s sister was older than she, not unlike her, but more faded; and she had the efficient air, as though she carried the British Empire in her pocket, which the wives of senior officers acquire from the consciousness of belonging to a superior caste.
officersnounUS /ˈɔːfəsərz/
plural of “officer” — any person in the armed services who holds a position of authority or command
From this reading Mrs. Strickland’s sister was older than she, not unlike her, but more faded; and she had the efficient air, as though she carried the British Empire in her pocket, which the wives of senior officers acquire from the consciousness of belonging to a superior caste.
olderadjectiveUS /ˈoʊldər/
advanced in years; (“aged” is pronounced as two syllables)
From this reading Mrs. Strickland’s sister was older than she, not unlike her, but more faded; and she had the efficient air, as though she carried the British Empire in her pocket, which the wives of senior officers acquire from the consciousness of belonging to a superior caste.
pocketnounUS /ˈpɑːkət/
a small pouch inside a garment for carrying small articles
From this reading Mrs. Strickland’s sister was older than she, not unlike her, but more faded; and she had the efficient air, as though she carried the British Empire in her pocket, which the wives of senior officers acquire from the consciousness of belonging to a superior caste.
reachedverbUS /riːtʃt/
past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading When I reached London I found waiting for me an urgent request that I should go to Mrs. Strickland’s as soon after dinner as I could.
remissadjectiveUS /riˈmɪs/
failing in what duty requires
From this reading She hated the Guards, whom she thought conceited, and she could not trust herself to speak of their ladies, who were so remiss in calling.
requestverbUS /rɪˈkwest/
express the need or desire for
From this reading When I reached London I found waiting for me an urgent request that I should go to Mrs. Strickland’s as soon after dinner as I could.
scarcelyadverbUS /ˈskersli/
only a very short time before
From this reading Her manner was brisk, and her good-breeding scarcely concealed her conviction that if you were not a soldier you might as well be a counter-jumper.
senioradjectiveUS /ˈsiːnjər/
older; higher in rank; longer in length of tenure or service
From this reading Mrs. Strickland’s sister was older than she, not unlike her, but more faded; and she had the efficient air, as though she carried the British Empire in her pocket, which the wives of senior officers acquire from the consciousness of belonging to a superior caste.
shepronounUS /ʃiː/
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Mrs. Strickland’s sister was older than she, not unlike her, but more faded; and she had the efficient air, as though she carried the British Empire in her pocket, which the wives of senior officers acquire from the consciousness of belonging to a superior caste.
shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading When I reached London I found waiting for me an urgent request that I should go to Mrs. Strickland’s as soon after dinner as I could.
sisternounUS /ˈsɪstər/
a female person who has the same parents as another person
From this reading Mrs. Strickland’s sister was older than she, not unlike her, but more faded; and she had the efficient air, as though she carried the British Empire in her pocket, which the wives of senior officers acquire from the consciousness of belonging to a superior caste.
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading She hated the Guards, whom she thought conceited, and she could not trust herself to speak of their ladies, who were so remiss in calling.
soldiernounUS /ˈsoʊldʒər/
an enlisted man or woman who serves in an army
From this reading Her manner was brisk, and her good-breeding scarcely concealed her conviction that if you were not a soldier you might as well be a counter-jumper.
soonadverbUS /suːn/
in the near future
From this reading When I reached London I found waiting for me an urgent request that I should go to Mrs. Strickland’s as soon after dinner as I could.
speakverbUS /spiːk/
express in speech
From this reading She hated the Guards, whom she thought conceited, and she could not trust herself to speak of their ladies, who were so remiss in calling.
Strickland's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When I reached London I found waiting for me an urgent request that I should go to Mrs. Strickland’s as soon after dinner as I could.
superioradjectiveUS /suːˈpɪriər/
of high or superior quality or performance
From this reading Mrs. Strickland’s sister was older than she, not unlike her, but more faded; and she had the efficient air, as though she carried the British Empire in her pocket, which the wives of senior officers acquire from the consciousness of belonging to a superior caste.
thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Mrs. Strickland’s sister was older than she, not unlike her, but more faded; and she had the efficient air, as though she carried the British Empire in her pocket, which the wives of senior officers acquire from the consciousness of belonging to a superior caste.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading When I reached London I found waiting for me an urgent request that I should go to Mrs. Strickland’s as soon after dinner as I could.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Mrs. Strickland’s sister was older than she, not unlike her, but more faded; and she had the efficient air, as though she carried the British Empire in her pocket, which the wives of senior officers acquire from the consciousness of belonging to a superior caste.
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading She hated the Guards, whom she thought conceited, and she could not trust herself to speak of their ladies, who were so remiss in calling.
thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/
in spite of the fact that
From this reading Mrs. Strickland’s sister was older than she, not unlike her, but more faded; and she had the efficient air, as though she carried the British Empire in her pocket, which the wives of senior officers acquire from the consciousness of belonging to a superior caste.
thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading She hated the Guards, whom she thought conceited, and she could not trust herself to speak of their ladies, who were so remiss in calling.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading When I reached London I found waiting for me an urgent request that I should go to Mrs. Strickland’s as soon after dinner as I could.
trustnounUS /trʌst/
something (as property) held by one party (the trustee) for the benefit of another (the beneficiary)
From this reading She hated the Guards, whom she thought conceited, and she could not trust herself to speak of their ladies, who were so remiss in calling.
unlikeadjectiveUS /ənˈlaɪk/
marked by dissimilarity
From this reading Mrs. Strickland’s sister was older than she, not unlike her, but more faded; and she had the efficient air, as though she carried the British Empire in her pocket, which the wives of senior officers acquire from the consciousness of belonging to a superior caste.
urgentadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrdʒənt/
compelling immediate action
From this reading When I reached London I found waiting for me an urgent request that I should go to Mrs. Strickland’s as soon after dinner as I could.
waitingnounUS /ˈweɪtɪŋ/
the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)
From this reading When I reached London I found waiting for me an urgent request that I should go to Mrs. Strickland’s as soon after dinner as I could.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Mrs. Strickland’s sister was older than she, not unlike her, but more faded; and she had the efficient air, as though she carried the British Empire in her pocket, which the wives of senior officers acquire from the consciousness of belonging to a superior caste.
welladverbUS /wel/
(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 Her manner was brisk, and her good-breeding scarcely concealed her conviction that if you were not a soldier you might as well be a counter-jumper.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Her manner was brisk, and her good-breeding scarcely concealed her conviction that if you were not a soldier you might as well be a counter-jumper.
WhenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading When I reached London I found waiting for me an urgent request that I should go to Mrs. Strickland’s as soon after dinner as I could.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Mrs. Strickland’s sister was older than she, not unlike her, but more faded; and she had the efficient air, as though she carried the British Empire in her pocket, which the wives of senior officers acquire from the consciousness of belonging to a superior caste.
whopronounUS /huː/
which person or people
From this reading She hated the Guards, whom she thought conceited, and she could not trust herself to speak of their ladies, who were so remiss in calling.
whompronounUS /huːm/
the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading She hated the Guards, whom she thought conceited, and she could not trust herself to speak of their ladies, who were so remiss in calling.
wifenounUS /waɪf/
a married woman; a man's partner in marriage
From this reading I found her with Colonel MacAndrew and his wife.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading I found her with Colonel MacAndrew and his wife.
wivesnounUS /waɪvz/
plural of “wife” — a married woman; a man's partner in marriage
From this reading Mrs. Strickland’s sister was older than she, not unlike her, but more faded; and she had the efficient air, as though she carried the British Empire in her pocket, which the wives of senior officers acquire from the consciousness of belonging to a superior caste.
youpronounUS /juː/
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Her manner was brisk, and her good-breeding scarcely concealed her conviction that if you were not a soldier you might as well be a counter-jumper.
