used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading There was supper at seven, an elaborate meal, and they sat over it an hour and a half.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Ingeborg was now quite clear about the reason for her mother-in-law's tears.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading There was supper at seven, an elaborate meal, and they sat over it an hour and a half.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading There was supper at seven, an elaborate meal, and they sat over it an hour and a half.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading There was supper at seven, an elaborate meal, and they sat over it an hour and a half.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading They did not get away till nine o'clock.
beernounUS /bɪr/
a general name for alcoholic beverages made by fermenting a cereal (or mixture of cereals) flavored with hops
From this reading Then came more coffee, served on the terrace by servants in white cotton gloves, and half an hour later, just before they left, tea and sandwiches and cakes and fruit and beer.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Then came more coffee, served on the terrace by servants in white cotton gloves, and half an hour later, just before they left, tea and sandwiches and cakes and fruit and beer.
behaviournounUS /bɪˈheɪvjər/
the action or reaction of something (as a machine or substance) under specified circumstances
From this reading She saw very vividly how dreadful her behaviour must have seemed.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Then came more coffee, served on the terrace by servants in white cotton gloves, and half an hour later, just before they left, tea and sandwiches and cakes and fruit and beer.
cakesnounUS /keɪks/
plural of “cake” — a block of solid substance (such as soap or wax)
From this reading Then came more coffee, served on the terrace by servants in white cotton gloves, and half an hour later, just before they left, tea and sandwiches and cakes and fruit and beer.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Then came more coffee, served on the terrace by servants in white cotton gloves, and half an hour later, just before they left, tea and sandwiches and cakes and fruit and beer.
rid of obstructions
From this reading Ingeborg was now quite clear about the reason for her mother-in-law's tears.
a beverage consisting of an infusion of ground coffee beans
From this reading Then came more coffee, served on the terrace by servants in white cotton gloves, and half an hour later, just before they left, tea and sandwiches and cakes and fruit and beer.
cottonnounUS /ˈkɑːtən/
soft silky fibers from cotton plants in their raw state
From this reading Then came more coffee, served on the terrace by servants in white cotton gloves, and half an hour later, just before they left, tea and sandwiches and cakes and fruit and beer.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading They did not get away till nine o'clock.
causing fear or dread or terror
From this reading She saw very vividly how dreadful her behaviour must have seemed.
elaborateadjectiveUS /ɪˈlæbrət/
marked by complexity and richness of detail
From this reading There was supper at seven, an elaborate meal, and they sat over it an hour and a half.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Ingeborg was now quite clear about the reason for her mother-in-law's tears.
the ripened reproductive body of a seed plant
From this reading Then came more coffee, served on the terrace by servants in white cotton gloves, and half an hour later, just before they left, tea and sandwiches and cakes and fruit and beer.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading They did not get away till nine o'clock.
glovesnounUS /ɡlʌvz/
plural of “glove” — the handwear used by fielders in playing baseball
From this reading Then came more coffee, served on the terrace by servants in white cotton gloves, and half an hour later, just before they left, tea and sandwiches and cakes and fruit and beer.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading There was supper at seven, an elaborate meal, and they sat over it an hour and a half.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading She saw very vividly how dreadful her behaviour must have seemed.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Ingeborg was now quite clear about the reason for her mother-in-law's tears.
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading There was supper at seven, an elaborate meal, and they sat over it an hour and a half.
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She saw very vividly how dreadful her behaviour must have seemed.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Then came more coffee, served on the terrace by servants in white cotton gloves, and half an hour later, just before they left, tea and sandwiches and cakes and fruit and beer.
Ingeborg
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ingeborg was now quite clear about the reason for her mother-in-law's tears.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading There was supper at seven, an elaborate meal, and they sat over it an hour and a half.
and nothing more
From this reading Then came more coffee, served on the terrace by servants in white cotton gloves, and half an hour later, just before they left, tea and sandwiches and cakes and fruit and beer.
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading Then came more coffee, served on the terrace by servants in white cotton gloves, and half an hour later, just before they left, tea and sandwiches and cakes and fruit and beer.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading Then came more coffee, served on the terrace by servants in white cotton gloves, and half an hour later, just before they left, tea and sandwiches and cakes and fruit and beer.
the food served and eaten at one time
From this reading There was supper at seven, an elaborate meal, and they sat over it an hour and a half.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Then came more coffee, served on the terrace by servants in white cotton gloves, and half an hour later, just before they left, tea and sandwiches and cakes and fruit and beer.
mother-in-law's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ingeborg was now quite clear about the reason for her mother-in-law's tears.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading She saw very vividly how dreadful her behaviour must have seemed.
the cardinal number that is the sum of eight and one
From this reading They did not get away till nine o'clock.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading They did not get away till nine o'clock.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Ingeborg was now quite clear about the reason for her mother-in-law's tears.
o'clockadverbUS /əˈklɑːk/
according to the clock
From this reading They did not get away till nine o'clock.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Then came more coffee, served on the terrace by servants in white cotton gloves, and half an hour later, just before they left, tea and sandwiches and cakes and fruit and beer.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading There was supper at seven, an elaborate meal, and they sat over it an hour and a half.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading Ingeborg was now quite clear about the reason for her mother-in-law's tears.
a rational motive for a belief or action
From this reading Ingeborg was now quite clear about the reason for her mother-in-law's tears.
sandwichesnounUS /ˈsændwɪtʃɪz/
plural of “sandwich” — two (or more) slices of bread with a filling between them
From this reading Then came more coffee, served on the terrace by servants in white cotton gloves, and half an hour later, just before they left, tea and sandwiches and cakes and fruit and beer.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading There was supper at seven, an elaborate meal, and they sat over it an hour and a half.
cut with a saw
From this reading She saw very vividly how dreadful her behaviour must have seemed.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading She saw very vividly how dreadful her behaviour must have seemed.
plural of “servant” — a person working in the service of another (especially in the household)
From this reading Then came more coffee, served on the terrace by servants in white cotton gloves, and half an hour later, just before they left, tea and sandwiches and cakes and fruit and beer.
past form of “serve” — serve a purpose, role, or function
From this reading Then came more coffee, served on the terrace by servants in white cotton gloves, and half an hour later, just before they left, tea and sandwiches and cakes and fruit and beer.
the cardinal number that is the sum of six and one
From this reading There was supper at seven, an elaborate meal, and they sat over it an hour and a half.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She saw very vividly how dreadful her behaviour must have seemed.
a light evening meal; served in early evening if dinner is at midday or served late in the evening at bedtime
From this reading There was supper at seven, an elaborate meal, and they sat over it an hour and a half.
a beverage made by steeping tea leaves in water
From this reading Then came more coffee, served on the terrace by servants in white cotton gloves, and half an hour later, just before they left, tea and sandwiches and cakes and fruit and beer.
the process of shedding tears (usually accompanied by sobs or other inarticulate sounds)
From this reading Ingeborg was now quite clear about the reason for her mother-in-law's tears.
terracenounUS /ˈterəs/
usually paved outdoor area adjoining a residence
From this reading Then came more coffee, served on the terrace by servants in white cotton gloves, and half an hour later, just before they left, tea and sandwiches and cakes and fruit and beer.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Then came more coffee, served on the terrace by servants in white cotton gloves, and half an hour later, just before they left, tea and sandwiches and cakes and fruit and beer.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then came more coffee, served on the terrace by servants in white cotton gloves, and half an hour later, just before they left, tea and sandwiches and cakes and fruit and beer.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was supper at seven, an elaborate meal, and they sat over it an hour and a half.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They did not get away till nine o'clock.
up to a particular time
From this reading They did not get away till nine o'clock.
precisely as stated
From this reading She saw very vividly how dreadful her behaviour must have seemed.
vividlyadverbUS /ˈvɪvədli/
in a vivid manner
From this reading She saw very vividly how dreadful her behaviour must have seemed.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There was supper at seven, an elaborate meal, and they sat over it an hour and a half.
a Caucasian
From this reading Then came more coffee, served on the terrace by servants in white cotton gloves, and half an hour later, just before they left, tea and sandwiches and cakes and fruit and beer.
