used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The curtains were drawn over the dining-room windows; a cheerful fire burned in the grate; and a lamp, placed in the middle of the table, diffused a pleasant and mellowed light around.
accompanyverbUS /əˈkʌmpəni/
be present or associated with an event or entity
From this reading Our readers must accompany us once more to the villa in the neighbourhood of Upper Clapton.
anew
From this reading Again the scene changes.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The curtains were drawn over the dining-room windows; a cheerful fire burned in the grate; and a lamp, placed in the middle of the table, diffused a pleasant and mellowed light around.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading The curtains were drawn over the dining-room windows; a cheerful fire burned in the grate; and a lamp, placed in the middle of the table, diffused a pleasant and mellowed light around.
treated by heating to a high temperature but below the melting or fusing point
From this reading The curtains were drawn over the dining-room windows; a cheerful fire burned in the grate; and a lamp, placed in the middle of the table, diffused a pleasant and mellowed light around.
changesnounUS /ˈtʃeɪndʒəz/
plural of “change” — an event that occurs when something passes from one state or phase to another
From this reading Again the scene changes.
a subdivision of a written work; usually numbered and titled
From this reading It was the evening of the day on which was perpetrated the dreadful deed related in the preceding chapter.
being full of or promoting cheer; having or showing good spirits
From this reading The curtains were drawn over the dining-room windows; a cheerful fire burned in the grate; and a lamp, placed in the middle of the table, diffused a pleasant and mellowed light around.
Clapton
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Our readers must accompany us once more to the villa in the neighbourhood of Upper Clapton.
curtainsnounUS /ˈkɜːrtənz/
plural of “curtain” — hanging cloth used as a blind (especially for a window)
From this reading The curtains were drawn over the dining-room windows; a cheerful fire burned in the grate; and a lamp, placed in the middle of the table, diffused a pleasant and mellowed light around.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading It was the evening of the day on which was perpetrated the dreadful deed related in the preceding chapter.
a legal document signed and sealed and delivered to effect a transfer of property and to show the legal right to possess it
From this reading It was the evening of the day on which was perpetrated the dreadful deed related in the preceding chapter.
diffusedadjectiveUS /dɪˈfjuːzd/
(of light rays) subjected to scattering by reflection from a rough surface or transmission through a translucent material
From this reading The curtains were drawn over the dining-room windows; a cheerful fire burned in the grate; and a lamp, placed in the middle of the table, diffused a pleasant and mellowed light around.
dining-roomnoun
a room used for dining
From this reading The curtains were drawn over the dining-room windows; a cheerful fire burned in the grate; and a lamp, placed in the middle of the table, diffused a pleasant and mellowed light around.
showing the wearing effects of overwork or care or suffering
From this reading The curtains were drawn over the dining-room windows; a cheerful fire burned in the grate; and a lamp, placed in the middle of the table, diffused a pleasant and mellowed light around.
causing fear or dread or terror
From this reading It was the evening of the day on which was perpetrated the dreadful deed related in the preceding chapter.
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading It was the evening of the day on which was perpetrated the dreadful deed related in the preceding chapter.
start firing a weapon
From this reading The curtains were drawn over the dining-room windows; a cheerful fire burned in the grate; and a lamp, placed in the middle of the table, diffused a pleasant and mellowed light around.
gratenounUS /ɡreɪt/
a frame of iron bars to hold a fire
From this reading The curtains were drawn over the dining-room windows; a cheerful fire burned in the grate; and a lamp, placed in the middle of the table, diffused a pleasant and mellowed light around.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Our readers must accompany us once more to the villa in the neighbourhood of Upper Clapton.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was the evening of the day on which was perpetrated the dreadful deed related in the preceding chapter.
an artificial source of visible illumination
From this reading The curtains were drawn over the dining-room windows; a cheerful fire burned in the grate; and a lamp, placed in the middle of the table, diffused a pleasant and mellowed light around.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading The curtains were drawn over the dining-room windows; a cheerful fire burned in the grate; and a lamp, placed in the middle of the table, diffused a pleasant and mellowed light around.
mellowedadjectiveUS /ˈmeloʊd/
having a full and pleasing flavor through proper aging
From this reading The curtains were drawn over the dining-room windows; a cheerful fire burned in the grate; and a lamp, placed in the middle of the table, diffused a pleasant and mellowed light around.
an area that is approximately central within some larger region
From this reading The curtains were drawn over the dining-room windows; a cheerful fire burned in the grate; and a lamp, placed in the middle of the table, diffused a pleasant and mellowed light around.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Our readers must accompany us once more to the villa in the neighbourhood of Upper Clapton.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading Our readers must accompany us once more to the villa in the neighbourhood of Upper Clapton.
a surrounding or nearby region
From this reading Our readers must accompany us once more to the villa in the neighbourhood of Upper Clapton.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Our readers must accompany us once more to the villa in the neighbourhood of Upper Clapton.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading It was the evening of the day on which was perpetrated the dreadful deed related in the preceding chapter.
on one occasion
From this reading Our readers must accompany us once more to the villa in the neighbourhood of Upper Clapton.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading Our readers must accompany us once more to the villa in the neighbourhood of Upper Clapton.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading The curtains were drawn over the dining-room windows; a cheerful fire burned in the grate; and a lamp, placed in the middle of the table, diffused a pleasant and mellowed light around.
perpetratedverbUS /ˈpɜːrpətreɪtɪd/
past form of “perpetrate” — perform an act, usually with a negative connotation
From this reading It was the evening of the day on which was perpetrated the dreadful deed related in the preceding chapter.
situated in a particular spot or position
From this reading The curtains were drawn over the dining-room windows; a cheerful fire burned in the grate; and a lamp, placed in the middle of the table, diffused a pleasant and mellowed light around.
affording pleasure; being in harmony with your taste or likings
From this reading The curtains were drawn over the dining-room windows; a cheerful fire burned in the grate; and a lamp, placed in the middle of the table, diffused a pleasant and mellowed light around.
precedingadjectiveUS /priˈsiːdɪŋ/
existing or coming before
From this reading It was the evening of the day on which was perpetrated the dreadful deed related in the preceding chapter.
readersnounUS /ˈriːdərz/
plural of “reader” — a person who enjoys reading
From this reading Our readers must accompany us once more to the villa in the neighbourhood of Upper Clapton.
being connected either logically or causally or by shared characteristics
From this reading It was the evening of the day on which was perpetrated the dreadful deed related in the preceding chapter.
the place where some action occurs
From this reading Again the scene changes.
a set of data arranged in rows and columns
From this reading The curtains were drawn over the dining-room windows; a cheerful fire burned in the grate; and a lamp, placed in the middle of the table, diffused a pleasant and mellowed light around.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE VILLA.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Our readers must accompany us once more to the villa in the neighbourhood of Upper Clapton.
the topmost one of two
From this reading Our readers must accompany us once more to the villa in the neighbourhood of Upper Clapton.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Our readers must accompany us once more to the villa in the neighbourhood of Upper Clapton.
VILLAnounUS /ˈvɪlə/
Mexican revolutionary leader (1877-1923)
From this reading THE VILLA.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was the evening of the day on which was perpetrated the dreadful deed related in the preceding chapter.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The curtains were drawn over the dining-room windows; a cheerful fire burned in the grate; and a lamp, placed in the middle of the table, diffused a pleasant and mellowed light around.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading It was the evening of the day on which was perpetrated the dreadful deed related in the preceding chapter.
(trademark) an operating system with a graphical user interface
From this reading The curtains were drawn over the dining-room windows; a cheerful fire burned in the grate; and a lamp, placed in the middle of the table, diffused a pleasant and mellowed light around.
