used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A FAREWELL When May went back again to the drawing-room she did not sit down immediately but walked round, taking up the books that were lying about.
(usually followed by “to”) having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something
From this reading She might be able to read and follow something slight; she could not concentrate herself on anything that needed thought.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading A FAREWELL When May went back again to the drawing-room she did not sit down immediately but walked round, taking up the books that were lying about.
an unfortunate mishap; especially one causing damage or injury
From this reading Some she had read, and the book she had taken up by accident before dinner did not interest her.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading She took up one after another and read the title, and then, seeing a small soft yellow volume full of verse, she carried it with her to her chair.
anew
From this reading A FAREWELL When May went back again to the drawing-room she did not sit down immediately but walked round, taking up the books that were lying about.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Some she had read, and the book she had taken up by accident before dinner did not interest her.
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading She took up one after another and read the title, and then, seeing a small soft yellow volume full of verse, she carried it with her to her chair.
any thing at all
From this reading She might be able to read and follow something slight; she could not concentrate herself on anything that needed thought.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading A FAREWELL When May went back again to the drawing-room she did not sit down immediately but walked round, taking up the books that were lying about.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading She might be able to read and follow something slight; she could not concentrate herself on anything that needed thought.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Some she had read, and the book she had taken up by accident before dinner did not interest her.
a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)
From this reading Some she had read, and the book she had taken up by accident before dinner did not interest her.
Bound written or printed works.
From this reading A FAREWELL When May went back again to the drawing-room she did not sit down immediately but walked round, taking up the books that were lying about.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading A FAREWELL When May went back again to the drawing-room she did not sit down immediately but walked round, taking up the books that were lying about.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Some she had read, and the book she had taken up by accident before dinner did not interest her.
inflected form of “carry” — move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body
From this reading She took up one after another and read the title, and then, seeing a small soft yellow volume full of verse, she carried it with her to her chair.
a seat for one person, with a support for the back
From this reading She took up one after another and read the title, and then, seeing a small soft yellow volume full of verse, she carried it with her to her chair.
concentrateverbUS /ˈkɑːnsəntreɪt/
make denser, stronger, or purer
From this reading She might be able to read and follow something slight; she could not concentrate herself on anything that needed thought.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading She might be able to read and follow something slight; she could not concentrate herself on anything that needed thought.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading A FAREWELL When May went back again to the drawing-room she did not sit down immediately but walked round, taking up the books that were lying about.
the main meal of the day served in the evening or at midday
From this reading Some she had read, and the book she had taken up by accident before dinner did not interest her.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading A FAREWELL When May went back again to the drawing-room she did not sit down immediately but walked round, taking up the books that were lying about.
drawing-room
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A FAREWELL When May went back again to the drawing-room she did not sit down immediately but walked round, taking up the books that were lying about.
an acknowledgment or expression of goodwill at parting
From this reading A FAREWELL When May went back again to the drawing-room she did not sit down immediately but walked round, taking up the books that were lying about.
to travel behind, go after, come after
From this reading She might be able to read and follow something slight; she could not concentrate herself on anything that needed thought.
containing as much or as many as is possible or normal
From this reading She took up one after another and read the title, and then, seeing a small soft yellow volume full of verse, she carried it with her to her chair.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Some she had read, and the book she had taken up by accident before dinner did not interest her.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Some she had read, and the book she had taken up by accident before dinner did not interest her.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading She might be able to read and follow something slight; she could not concentrate herself on anything that needed thought.
without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening
From this reading A FAREWELL When May went back again to the drawing-room she did not sit down immediately but walked round, taking up the books that were lying about.
a sense of concern with and curiosity about someone or something
From this reading Some she had read, and the book she had taken up by accident before dinner did not interest her.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading She took up one after another and read the title, and then, seeing a small soft yellow volume full of verse, she carried it with her to her chair.
the deliberate act of deviating from the truth
From this reading A FAREWELL When May went back again to the drawing-room she did not sit down immediately but walked round, taking up the books that were lying about.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading A FAREWELL When May went back again to the drawing-room she did not sit down immediately but walked round, taking up the books that were lying about.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading She might be able to read and follow something slight; she could not concentrate herself on anything that needed thought.
necessary for relief or supply
From this reading She might be able to read and follow something slight; she could not concentrate herself on anything that needed thought.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading A FAREWELL When May went back again to the drawing-room she did not sit down immediately but walked round, taking up the books that were lying about.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading She took up one after another and read the title, and then, seeing a small soft yellow volume full of verse, she carried it with her to her chair.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading She might be able to read and follow something slight; she could not concentrate herself on anything that needed thought.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading She took up one after another and read the title, and then, seeing a small soft yellow volume full of verse, she carried it with her to her chair.
used of mouth or eyes
From this reading She opened the volume.
interpret something that is written or printed
From this reading Some she had read, and the book she had taken up by accident before dinner did not interest her.
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading A FAREWELL When May went back again to the drawing-room she did not sit down immediately but walked round, taking up the books that were lying about.
perception by means of the eyes
From this reading She took up one after another and read the title, and then, seeing a small soft yellow volume full of verse, she carried it with her to her chair.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading A FAREWELL When May went back again to the drawing-room she did not sit down immediately but walked round, taking up the books that were lying about.
be seated
From this reading A FAREWELL When May went back again to the drawing-room she did not sit down immediately but walked round, taking up the books that were lying about.
a deliberate discourteous act (usually as an expression of anger or disapproval)
From this reading She might be able to read and follow something slight; she could not concentrate herself on anything that needed thought.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading She took up one after another and read the title, and then, seeing a small soft yellow volume full of verse, she carried it with her to her chair.
yielding readily to pressure or weight
From this reading She took up one after another and read the title, and then, seeing a small soft yellow volume full of verse, she carried it with her to her chair.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Some she had read, and the book she had taken up by accident before dinner did not interest her.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading She might be able to read and follow something slight; she could not concentrate herself on anything that needed thought.
takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading Some she had read, and the book she had taken up by accident before dinner did not interest her.
the act of someone who picks up or takes something
From this reading A FAREWELL When May went back again to the drawing-room she did not sit down immediately but walked round, taking up the books that were lying about.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading A FAREWELL When May went back again to the drawing-room she did not sit down immediately but walked round, taking up the books that were lying about.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A FAREWELL When May went back again to the drawing-room she did not sit down immediately but walked round, taking up the books that were lying about.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading She took up one after another and read the title, and then, seeing a small soft yellow volume full of verse, she carried it with her to her chair.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading She might be able to read and follow something slight; she could not concentrate herself on anything that needed thought.
a heading that names a statute or legislative bill; may give a brief summary of the matters it deals with
From this reading She took up one after another and read the title, and then, seeing a small soft yellow volume full of verse, she carried it with her to her chair.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading A FAREWELL When May went back again to the drawing-room she did not sit down immediately but walked round, taking up the books that were lying about.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading She took up one after another and read the title, and then, seeing a small soft yellow volume full of verse, she carried it with her to her chair.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading A FAREWELL When May went back again to the drawing-room she did not sit down immediately but walked round, taking up the books that were lying about.
literature in metrical form
From this reading She took up one after another and read the title, and then, seeing a small soft yellow volume full of verse, she carried it with her to her chair.
the amount of 3-dimensional space occupied by an object
From this reading She took up one after another and read the title, and then, seeing a small soft yellow volume full of verse, she carried it with her to her chair.
past form of “walk” — use one's feet to advance; advance by steps
From this reading A FAREWELL When May went back again to the drawing-room she did not sit down immediately but walked round, taking up the books that were lying about.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading A FAREWELL When May went back again to the drawing-room she did not sit down immediately but walked round, taking up the books that were lying about.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading A FAREWELL When May went back again to the drawing-room she did not sit down immediately but walked round, taking up the books that were lying about.
at the time that
From this reading A FAREWELL When May went back again to the drawing-room she did not sit down immediately but walked round, taking up the books that were lying about.
in the company of; together with
From this reading She took up one after another and read the title, and then, seeing a small soft yellow volume full of verse, she carried it with her to her chair.
of the color intermediate between green and orange in the color spectrum; of something resembling the color of an egg yolk
From this reading She took up one after another and read the title, and then, seeing a small soft yellow volume full of verse, she carried it with her to her chair.
