used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading There was dancing, too, in the big parlors, and who ever heard of dancing at a tea before?
matters of personal concern
From this reading Mr. and Mrs. Duffy's teas were quite different from other people's afternoon affairs.
the part of the day between noon and evening
From this reading Mr. and Mrs. Duffy's teas were quite different from other people's afternoon affairs.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading There was always lots to eat for one thing; long buffet tables piled with salads and sandwiches; great bowls of fruit drinks and ices and cakes.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Mr. and Mrs. Duffy's teas were quite different from other people's afternoon affairs.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading There was dancing, too, in the big parlors, and who ever heard of dancing at a tea before?
delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration
From this reading "But this is a very beautiful entertainment, my dear," replied Miss Campbell.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading There was dancing, too, in the big parlors, and who ever heard of dancing at a tea before?
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading There was dancing, too, in the big parlors, and who ever heard of dancing at a tea before?
bowlsnounUS /boʊlz/
a bowling game played on a level lawn with biased wooden balls that are rolled at a jack
From this reading There was always lots to eat for one thing; long buffet tables piled with salads and sandwiches; great bowls of fruit drinks and ices and cakes.
buffetnounUS /ˈbʌfət/
a piece of furniture that stands at the side of a dining room; has shelves and drawers
From this reading There was always lots to eat for one thing; long buffet tables piled with salads and sandwiches; great bowls of fruit drinks and ices and cakes.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "But this is a very beautiful entertainment, my dear," replied Miss Campbell.
cakesnounUS /keɪks/
plural of “cake” — a block of solid substance (such as soap or wax)
From this reading There was always lots to eat for one thing; long buffet tables piled with salads and sandwiches; great bowls of fruit drinks and ices and cakes.
CampbellnounUS /ˈkæmbəl/
United States mythologist (1904-1987)
From this reading "Young people like to dance no matter what the hour of the day," Mrs. Duffy had said in explanation to Miss Campbell.
an artistic form of nonverbal communication
From this reading "Young people like to dance no matter what the hour of the day," Mrs. Duffy had said in explanation to Miss Campbell.
taking a series of rhythmical steps (and movements) in time to music
From this reading There was dancing, too, in the big parlors, and who ever heard of dancing at a tea before?
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading "Young people like to dance no matter what the hour of the day," Mrs. Duffy had said in explanation to Miss Campbell.
dearly loved
From this reading "But this is a very beautiful entertainment, my dear," replied Miss Campbell.
unlike in nature or quality or form or degree
From this reading Mr. and Mrs. Duffy's teas were quite different from other people's afternoon affairs.
drinksnounUS /drɪŋks/
plural of “drink” — a single serving of a beverage
From this reading There was always lots to eat for one thing; long buffet tables piled with salads and sandwiches; great bowls of fruit drinks and ices and cakes.
Duffy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Young people like to dance no matter what the hour of the day," Mrs. Duffy had said in explanation to Miss Campbell.
Duffy's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mr. and Mrs. Duffy's teas were quite different from other people's afternoon affairs.
take in solid food
From this reading There was always lots to eat for one thing; long buffet tables piled with salads and sandwiches; great bowls of fruit drinks and ices and cakes.
entertainmentnounUS /ˌentərˈteɪnmənt/
an activity that is diverting and that holds the attention
From this reading "But this is a very beautiful entertainment, my dear," replied Miss Campbell.
at any time
From this reading There was dancing, too, in the big parlors, and who ever heard of dancing at a tea before?
a statement that makes something comprehensible by describing the relevant structure or operation or circumstances etc.
From this reading "Young people like to dance no matter what the hour of the day," Mrs. Duffy had said in explanation to Miss Campbell.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading There was always lots to eat for one thing; long buffet tables piled with salads and sandwiches; great bowls of fruit drinks and ices and cakes.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Mr. and Mrs. Duffy's teas were quite different from other people's afternoon affairs.
the ripened reproductive body of a seed plant
From this reading There was always lots to eat for one thing; long buffet tables piled with salads and sandwiches; great bowls of fruit drinks and ices and cakes.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading There was always lots to eat for one thing; long buffet tables piled with salads and sandwiches; great bowls of fruit drinks and ices and cakes.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading "Young people like to dance no matter what the hour of the day," Mrs. Duffy had said in explanation to Miss Campbell.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading There was dancing, too, in the big parlors, and who ever heard of dancing at a tea before?
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading "Young people like to dance no matter what the hour of the day," Mrs. Duffy had said in explanation to Miss Campbell.
icesnounUS /ˈaɪsəz/
plural of “ice” — water frozen in the solid state
From this reading There was always lots to eat for one thing; long buffet tables piled with salads and sandwiches; great bowls of fruit drinks and ices and cakes.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading There was dancing, too, in the big parlors, and who ever heard of dancing at a tea before?
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "But this is a very beautiful entertainment, my dear," replied Miss Campbell.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading "Young people like to dance no matter what the hour of the day," Mrs. Duffy had said in explanation to Miss Campbell.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading There was always lots to eat for one thing; long buffet tables piled with salads and sandwiches; great bowls of fruit drinks and ices and cakes.
a large number or amount
From this reading There was always lots to eat for one thing; long buffet tables piled with salads and sandwiches; great bowls of fruit drinks and ices and cakes.
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading "Young people like to dance no matter what the hour of the day," Mrs. Duffy had said in explanation to Miss Campbell.
fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind
From this reading "Young people like to dance no matter what the hour of the day," Mrs. Duffy had said in explanation to Miss Campbell.
a form of address for a man
From this reading Mr. and Mrs. Duffy's teas were quite different from other people's afternoon affairs.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading Mr. and Mrs. Duffy's teas were quite different from other people's afternoon affairs.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "But this is a very beautiful entertainment, my dear," replied Miss Campbell.
not any; not one
From this reading "Young people like to dance no matter what the hour of the day," Mrs. Duffy had said in explanation to Miss Campbell.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading There was always lots to eat for one thing; long buffet tables piled with salads and sandwiches; great bowls of fruit drinks and ices and cakes.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading There was always lots to eat for one thing; long buffet tables piled with salads and sandwiches; great bowls of fruit drinks and ices and cakes.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading Mr. and Mrs. Duffy's teas were quite different from other people's afternoon affairs.
parlorsnounUS /ˈpɑːrlərz/
plural of “parlor” — reception room in an inn or club where visitors can be received
From this reading There was dancing, too, in the big parlors, and who ever heard of dancing at a tea before?
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading "Young people like to dance no matter what the hour of the day," Mrs. Duffy had said in explanation to Miss Campbell.
people'snounUS /ˈpiːpəlz/
possessive form of “people” — (plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading Mr. and Mrs. Duffy's teas were quite different from other people's afternoon affairs.
piledverbUS /paɪld/
past form of “pile” — arrange in stacks
From this reading There was always lots to eat for one thing; long buffet tables piled with salads and sandwiches; great bowls of fruit drinks and ices and cakes.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading Mr. and Mrs. Duffy's teas were quite different from other people's afternoon affairs.
inflected form of “reply” — react verbally
From this reading "But this is a very beautiful entertainment, my dear," replied Miss Campbell.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Young people like to dance no matter what the hour of the day," Mrs. Duffy had said in explanation to Miss Campbell.
saladsnounUS /ˈsælədz/
plural of “salad” — food mixtures either arranged on a plate or tossed and served with a moist dressing; usually consisting of or including greens
From this reading There was always lots to eat for one thing; long buffet tables piled with salads and sandwiches; great bowls of fruit drinks and ices and cakes.
sandwichesnounUS /ˈsændwɪtʃɪz/
plural of “sandwich” — two (or more) slices of bread with a filling between them
From this reading There was always lots to eat for one thing; long buffet tables piled with salads and sandwiches; great bowls of fruit drinks and ices and cakes.
tablesnounUS /ˈteɪbəlz/
plural of “table” — a set of data arranged in rows and columns
From this reading There was always lots to eat for one thing; long buffet tables piled with salads and sandwiches; great bowls of fruit drinks and ices and cakes.
a beverage made by steeping tea leaves in water
From this reading There was dancing, too, in the big parlors, and who ever heard of dancing at a tea before?
teasnounUS /tiːz/
plural of “tea” — a beverage made by steeping tea leaves in water
From this reading Mr. and Mrs. Duffy's teas were quite different from other people's afternoon affairs.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading There was dancing, too, in the big parlors, and who ever heard of dancing at a tea before?
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was always lots to eat for one thing; long buffet tables piled with salads and sandwiches; great bowls of fruit drinks and ices and cakes.
a special situation
From this reading There was always lots to eat for one thing; long buffet tables piled with salads and sandwiches; great bowls of fruit drinks and ices and cakes.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading "But this is a very beautiful entertainment, my dear," replied Miss Campbell.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading There was always lots to eat for one thing; long buffet tables piled with salads and sandwiches; great bowls of fruit drinks and ices and cakes.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading There was dancing, too, in the big parlors, and who ever heard of dancing at a tea before?
precisely as stated
From this reading "But this is a very beautiful entertainment, my dear," replied Miss Campbell.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There was always lots to eat for one thing; long buffet tables piled with salads and sandwiches; great bowls of fruit drinks and ices and cakes.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Mr. and Mrs. Duffy's teas were quite different from other people's afternoon affairs.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "Young people like to dance no matter what the hour of the day," Mrs. Duffy had said in explanation to Miss Campbell.
which person or people
From this reading There was dancing, too, in the big parlors, and who ever heard of dancing at a tea before?
in the company of; together with
From this reading There was always lots to eat for one thing; long buffet tables piled with salads and sandwiches; great bowls of fruit drinks and ices and cakes.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading "Young people like to dance no matter what the hour of the day," Mrs. Duffy had said in explanation to Miss Campbell.
