Chapter I

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Published 1929 by Doubleday, Doran & Company, Inc.

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading An Unpleasant Dinner Party St. Ann’s is an old hospital, sprawling in a great heap of weather-stained red brick and green ivy on the side of Thatcher Hill, a little east and south of the city of B——.

past form of “add” — make an addition (to); join or combine or unite with others; increase the quality, quantity, size or scope of

From this reading The building, though remodelled and added on to here and there, still retains the great, solid walls, the gumwood and walnut woodwork, the large, old-fashioned rooms, and the general air of magnificence and dignity that characterized what was known, in the grandiloquent nineties, as the Thatcher mansion.

a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of

From this reading The building, though remodelled and added on to here and there, still retains the great, solid walls, the gumwood and walnut woodwork, the large, old-fashioned rooms, and the general air of magnificence and dignity that characterized what was known, in the grandiloquent nineties, as the Thatcher mansion.

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading All of the characters in this book, as well as St. Ann’s Hospital, are entirely fictitious.

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading An Unpleasant Dinner Party St. Ann’s is an old hospital, sprawling in a great heap of weather-stained red brick and green ivy on the side of Thatcher Hill, a little east and south of the city of B——.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading An Unpleasant Dinner Party St. Ann’s is an old hospital, sprawling in a great heap of weather-stained red brick and green ivy on the side of Thatcher Hill, a little east and south of the city of B——.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading All of the characters in this book, as well as St. Ann’s Hospital, are entirely fictitious.

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading All of the characters in this book, as well as St. Ann’s Hospital, are entirely fictitious.

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading All of the characters in this book, as well as St. Ann’s Hospital, are entirely fictitious.

aerobic rod-shaped spore-producing bacterium; often occurring in chainlike formations; found primarily in soil

From this reading An Unpleasant Dinner Party St. Ann’s is an old hospital, sprawling in a great heap of weather-stained red brick and green ivy on the side of Thatcher Hill, a little east and south of the city of B——.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Time has made changes; quantities of windows, low and wide, modern plumbing, electricity, a telephone to every floor, and added wings whose brick walls have been carefully weather-stained to match the original walls are some of them.

a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)

From this reading All of the characters in this book, as well as St. Ann’s Hospital, are entirely fictitious.

rectangular block of clay baked by the sun or in a kiln; used as a building or paving material

From this reading An Unpleasant Dinner Party St. Ann’s is an old hospital, sprawling in a great heap of weather-stained red brick and green ivy on the side of Thatcher Hill, a little east and south of the city of B——.

a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place

From this reading The building, though remodelled and added on to here and there, still retains the great, solid walls, the gumwood and walnut woodwork, the large, old-fashioned rooms, and the general air of magnificence and dignity that characterized what was known, in the grandiloquent nineties, as the Thatcher mansion.

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Published 1929 by Doubleday, Doran & Company, Inc.

taking care or paying attention

From this reading Time has made changes; quantities of windows, low and wide, modern plumbing, electricity, a telephone to every floor, and added wings whose brick walls have been carefully weather-stained to match the original walls are some of them.

plural of “change” — an event that occurs when something passes from one state or phase to another

From this reading Time has made changes; quantities of windows, low and wide, modern plumbing, electricity, a telephone to every floor, and added wings whose brick walls have been carefully weather-stained to match the original walls are some of them.

past form of “characterize” — describe or portray the character or the qualities or peculiarities of

From this reading The building, though remodelled and added on to here and there, still retains the great, solid walls, the gumwood and walnut woodwork, the large, old-fashioned rooms, and the general air of magnificence and dignity that characterized what was known, in the grandiloquent nineties, as the Thatcher mansion.

plural of “character” — an imaginary person represented in a work of fiction (play or film or story)

From this reading All of the characters in this book, as well as St. Ann’s Hospital, are entirely fictitious.

a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts

From this reading An Unpleasant Dinner Party St. Ann’s is an old hospital, sprawling in a great heap of weather-stained red brick and green ivy on the side of Thatcher Hill, a little east and south of the city of B——.

an institution created to conduct business

From this reading Published 1929 by Doubleday, Doran & Company, Inc.

the quality of being worthy of esteem or respect

From this reading The building, though remodelled and added on to here and there, still retains the great, solid walls, the gumwood and walnut woodwork, the large, old-fashioned rooms, and the general air of magnificence and dignity that characterized what was known, in the grandiloquent nineties, as the Thatcher mansion.

the main meal of the day served in the evening or at midday

From this reading An Unpleasant Dinner Party St. Ann’s is an old hospital, sprawling in a great heap of weather-stained red brick and green ivy on the side of Thatcher Hill, a little east and south of the city of B——.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Published 1929 by Doubleday, Doran & Company, Inc.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Published 1929 by Doubleday, Doran & Company, Inc.

the cardinal compass point that is at 90 degrees

From this reading An Unpleasant Dinner Party St. Ann’s is an old hospital, sprawling in a great heap of weather-stained red brick and green ivy on the side of Thatcher Hill, a little east and south of the city of B——.

a physical phenomenon associated with stationary or moving electrons and protons

From this reading Time has made changes; quantities of windows, low and wide, modern plumbing, electricity, a telephone to every floor, and added wings whose brick walls have been carefully weather-stained to match the original walls are some of them.

to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)

From this reading All of the characters in this book, as well as St. Ann’s Hospital, are entirely fictitious.

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading Time has made changes; quantities of windows, low and wide, modern plumbing, electricity, a telephone to every floor, and added wings whose brick walls have been carefully weather-stained to match the original walls are some of them.

formed or conceived by the imagination

From this reading All of the characters in this book, as well as St. Ann’s Hospital, are entirely fictitious.

the inside lower horizontal surface (as of a room, hallway, tent, or other structure)

From this reading Time has made changes; quantities of windows, low and wide, modern plumbing, electricity, a telephone to every floor, and added wings whose brick walls have been carefully weather-stained to match the original walls are some of them.

applying to all or most members of a category or group

From this reading The building, though remodelled and added on to here and there, still retains the great, solid walls, the gumwood and walnut woodwork, the large, old-fashioned rooms, and the general air of magnificence and dignity that characterized what was known, in the grandiloquent nineties, as the Thatcher mansion.

lofty in style

From this reading The building, though remodelled and added on to here and there, still retains the great, solid walls, the gumwood and walnut woodwork, the large, old-fashioned rooms, and the general air of magnificence and dignity that characterized what was known, in the grandiloquent nineties, as the Thatcher mansion.

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading An Unpleasant Dinner Party St. Ann’s is an old hospital, sprawling in a great heap of weather-stained red brick and green ivy on the side of Thatcher Hill, a little east and south of the city of B——.

green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass

From this reading An Unpleasant Dinner Party St. Ann’s is an old hospital, sprawling in a great heap of weather-stained red brick and green ivy on the side of Thatcher Hill, a little east and south of the city of B——.

wood or lumber from any of various gum trees especially the sweet gum

From this reading The building, though remodelled and added on to here and there, still retains the great, solid walls, the gumwood and walnut woodwork, the large, old-fashioned rooms, and the general air of magnificence and dignity that characterized what was known, in the grandiloquent nineties, as the Thatcher mansion.

the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Time has made changes; quantities of windows, low and wide, modern plumbing, electricity, a telephone to every floor, and added wings whose brick walls have been carefully weather-stained to match the original walls are some of them.

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Time has made changes; quantities of windows, low and wide, modern plumbing, electricity, a telephone to every floor, and added wings whose brick walls have been carefully weather-stained to match the original walls are some of them.

a collection of objects laid on top of each other

From this reading An Unpleasant Dinner Party St. Ann’s is an old hospital, sprawling in a great heap of weather-stained red brick and green ivy on the side of Thatcher Hill, a little east and south of the city of B——.

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading The building, though remodelled and added on to here and there, still retains the great, solid walls, the gumwood and walnut woodwork, the large, old-fashioned rooms, and the general air of magnificence and dignity that characterized what was known, in the grandiloquent nineties, as the Thatcher mansion.

a local and well-defined elevation of the land

From this reading An Unpleasant Dinner Party St. Ann’s is an old hospital, sprawling in a great heap of weather-stained red brick and green ivy on the side of Thatcher Hill, a little east and south of the city of B——.

a health facility where patients receive treatment

From this reading All of the characters in this book, as well as St. Ann’s Hospital, are entirely fictitious.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading All of the characters in this book, as well as St. Ann’s Hospital, are entirely fictitious.

a heterogeneous collection of groups united in their opposition to Saddam Hussein's government of Iraq; formed in 1992 it is comprised of Sunni and Shiite Arabs and Kurds who hope to build a new government

From this reading Published 1929 by Doubleday, Doran & Company, Inc.

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading An Unpleasant Dinner Party St. Ann’s is an old hospital, sprawling in a great heap of weather-stained red brick and green ivy on the side of Thatcher Hill, a little east and south of the city of B——.

Old World vine with lobed evergreen leaves and black berrylike fruits

From this reading An Unpleasant Dinner Party St. Ann’s is an old hospital, sprawling in a great heap of weather-stained red brick and green ivy on the side of Thatcher Hill, a little east and south of the city of B——.

apprehended with certainty

From this reading The building, though remodelled and added on to here and there, still retains the great, solid walls, the gumwood and walnut woodwork, the large, old-fashioned rooms, and the general air of magnificence and dignity that characterized what was known, in the grandiloquent nineties, as the Thatcher mansion.

above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading The building, though remodelled and added on to here and there, still retains the great, solid walls, the gumwood and walnut woodwork, the large, old-fashioned rooms, and the general air of magnificence and dignity that characterized what was known, in the grandiloquent nineties, as the Thatcher mansion.

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading An Unpleasant Dinner Party St. Ann’s is an old hospital, sprawling in a great heap of weather-stained red brick and green ivy on the side of Thatcher Hill, a little east and south of the city of B——.

less than normal in degree or intensity or amount

From this reading Time has made changes; quantities of windows, low and wide, modern plumbing, electricity, a telephone to every floor, and added wings whose brick walls have been carefully weather-stained to match the original walls are some of them.

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading Time has made changes; quantities of windows, low and wide, modern plumbing, electricity, a telephone to every floor, and added wings whose brick walls have been carefully weather-stained to match the original walls are some of them.

splendid or imposing in size or appearance

From this reading The building, though remodelled and added on to here and there, still retains the great, solid walls, the gumwood and walnut woodwork, the large, old-fashioned rooms, and the general air of magnificence and dignity that characterized what was known, in the grandiloquent nineties, as the Thatcher mansion.

(astrology) one of 12 equal areas into which the zodiac is divided

From this reading The building, though remodelled and added on to here and there, still retains the great, solid walls, the gumwood and walnut woodwork, the large, old-fashioned rooms, and the general air of magnificence and dignity that characterized what was known, in the grandiloquent nineties, as the Thatcher mansion.

be compatible, similar or consistent; coincide in their characteristics

From this reading Time has made changes; quantities of windows, low and wide, modern plumbing, electricity, a telephone to every floor, and added wings whose brick walls have been carefully weather-stained to match the original walls are some of them.

belonging to the modern era; since the Middle Ages

From this reading Time has made changes; quantities of windows, low and wide, modern plumbing, electricity, a telephone to every floor, and added wings whose brick walls have been carefully weather-stained to match the original walls are some of them.

the decade from 1890 to 1899

From this reading The building, though remodelled and added on to here and there, still retains the great, solid walls, the gumwood and walnut woodwork, the large, old-fashioned rooms, and the general air of magnificence and dignity that characterized what was known, in the grandiloquent nineties, as the Thatcher mansion.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading All of the characters in this book, as well as St. Ann’s Hospital, are entirely fictitious.

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading An Unpleasant Dinner Party St. Ann’s is an old hospital, sprawling in a great heap of weather-stained red brick and green ivy on the side of Thatcher Hill, a little east and south of the city of B——.

out of fashion

From this reading The building, though remodelled and added on to here and there, still retains the great, solid walls, the gumwood and walnut woodwork, the large, old-fashioned rooms, and the general air of magnificence and dignity that characterized what was known, in the grandiloquent nineties, as the Thatcher mansion.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading An Unpleasant Dinner Party St. Ann’s is an old hospital, sprawling in a great heap of weather-stained red brick and green ivy on the side of Thatcher Hill, a little east and south of the city of B——.

preceding all others in time or being as first made or performed

From this reading Time has made changes; quantities of windows, low and wide, modern plumbing, electricity, a telephone to every floor, and added wings whose brick walls have been carefully weather-stained to match the original walls are some of them.

an organization to gain political power

From this reading An Unpleasant Dinner Party St. Ann’s is an old hospital, sprawling in a great heap of weather-stained red brick and green ivy on the side of Thatcher Hill, a little east and south of the city of B——.

utility consisting of the pipes and fixtures for the distribution of water or gas in a building and for the disposal of sewage

From this reading Time has made changes; quantities of windows, low and wide, modern plumbing, electricity, a telephone to every floor, and added wings whose brick walls have been carefully weather-stained to match the original walls are some of them.

prepared and printed for distribution and sale

From this reading Published 1929 by Doubleday, Doran & Company, Inc.

plural of “quantity” — how much there is or how many there are of something that you can quantify

From this reading Time has made changes; quantities of windows, low and wide, modern plumbing, electricity, a telephone to every floor, and added wings whose brick walls have been carefully weather-stained to match the original walls are some of them.

red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood

From this reading An Unpleasant Dinner Party St. Ann’s is an old hospital, sprawling in a great heap of weather-stained red brick and green ivy on the side of Thatcher Hill, a little east and south of the city of B——.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The building, though remodelled and added on to here and there, still retains the great, solid walls, the gumwood and walnut woodwork, the large, old-fashioned rooms, and the general air of magnificence and dignity that characterized what was known, in the grandiloquent nineties, as the Thatcher mansion.

third-person singular of “retain” — hold back within

From this reading The building, though remodelled and added on to here and there, still retains the great, solid walls, the gumwood and walnut woodwork, the large, old-fashioned rooms, and the general air of magnificence and dignity that characterized what was known, in the grandiloquent nineties, as the Thatcher mansion.

apartment consisting of a series of connected rooms used as a living unit (as in a hotel)

From this reading The building, though remodelled and added on to here and there, still retains the great, solid walls, the gumwood and walnut woodwork, the large, old-fashioned rooms, and the general air of magnificence and dignity that characterized what was known, in the grandiloquent nineties, as the Thatcher mansion.

a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location

From this reading An Unpleasant Dinner Party St. Ann’s is an old hospital, sprawling in a great heap of weather-stained red brick and green ivy on the side of Thatcher Hill, a little east and south of the city of B——.

characterized by good substantial quality

From this reading The building, though remodelled and added on to here and there, still retains the great, solid walls, the gumwood and walnut woodwork, the large, old-fashioned rooms, and the general air of magnificence and dignity that characterized what was known, in the grandiloquent nineties, as the Thatcher mansion.

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading Time has made changes; quantities of windows, low and wide, modern plumbing, electricity, a telephone to every floor, and added wings whose brick walls have been carefully weather-stained to match the original walls are some of them.

the region of the United States lying to the south of the Mason-Dixon line

From this reading An Unpleasant Dinner Party St. Ann’s is an old hospital, sprawling in a great heap of weather-stained red brick and green ivy on the side of Thatcher Hill, a little east and south of the city of B——.

an ungainly posture with arms and legs spread about

From this reading An Unpleasant Dinner Party St. Ann’s is an old hospital, sprawling in a great heap of weather-stained red brick and green ivy on the side of Thatcher Hill, a little east and south of the city of B——.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading All of the characters in this book, as well as St. Ann’s Hospital, are entirely fictitious.

not in physical motion

From this reading The building, though remodelled and added on to here and there, still retains the great, solid walls, the gumwood and walnut woodwork, the large, old-fashioned rooms, and the general air of magnificence and dignity that characterized what was known, in the grandiloquent nineties, as the Thatcher mansion.

electronic equipment that converts sound into electrical signals that can be transmitted over distances and then converts received signals back into sounds

From this reading Time has made changes; quantities of windows, low and wide, modern plumbing, electricity, a telephone to every floor, and added wings whose brick walls have been carefully weather-stained to match the original walls are some of them.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading The building, though remodelled and added on to here and there, still retains the great, solid walls, the gumwood and walnut woodwork, the large, old-fashioned rooms, and the general air of magnificence and dignity that characterized what was known, in the grandiloquent nineties, as the Thatcher mansion.

British stateswoman; first woman to serve as Prime Minister (born in 1925)

From this reading An Unpleasant Dinner Party St. Ann’s is an old hospital, sprawling in a great heap of weather-stained red brick and green ivy on the side of Thatcher Hill, a little east and south of the city of B——.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading All of the characters in this book, as well as St. Ann’s Hospital, are entirely fictitious.

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading Time has made changes; quantities of windows, low and wide, modern plumbing, electricity, a telephone to every floor, and added wings whose brick walls have been carefully weather-stained to match the original walls are some of them.

in or at that place or location

From this reading The building, though remodelled and added on to here and there, still retains the great, solid walls, the gumwood and walnut woodwork, the large, old-fashioned rooms, and the general air of magnificence and dignity that characterized what was known, in the grandiloquent nineties, as the Thatcher mansion.

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading All of the characters in this book, as well as St. Ann’s Hospital, are entirely fictitious.

in spite of the fact that

From this reading The building, though remodelled and added on to here and there, still retains the great, solid walls, the gumwood and walnut woodwork, the large, old-fashioned rooms, and the general air of magnificence and dignity that characterized what was known, in the grandiloquent nineties, as the Thatcher mansion.

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading Time has made changes; quantities of windows, low and wide, modern plumbing, electricity, a telephone to every floor, and added wings whose brick walls have been carefully weather-stained to match the original walls are some of them.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading The building, though remodelled and added on to here and there, still retains the great, solid walls, the gumwood and walnut woodwork, the large, old-fashioned rooms, and the general air of magnificence and dignity that characterized what was known, in the grandiloquent nineties, as the Thatcher mansion.

offensive or disagreeable; causing discomfort or unhappiness

From this reading An Unpleasant Dinner Party St. Ann’s is an old hospital, sprawling in a great heap of weather-stained red brick and green ivy on the side of Thatcher Hill, a little east and south of the city of B——.

plural of “wall” — an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure

From this reading The building, though remodelled and added on to here and there, still retains the great, solid walls, the gumwood and walnut woodwork, the large, old-fashioned rooms, and the general air of magnificence and dignity that characterized what was known, in the grandiloquent nineties, as the Thatcher mansion.

nut of any of various walnut trees having a wrinkled two-lobed seed with a hard shell

From this reading The building, though remodelled and added on to here and there, still retains the great, solid walls, the gumwood and walnut woodwork, the large, old-fashioned rooms, and the general air of magnificence and dignity that characterized what was known, in the grandiloquent nineties, as the Thatcher mansion.

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading The building, though remodelled and added on to here and there, still retains the great, solid walls, the gumwood and walnut woodwork, the large, old-fashioned rooms, and the general air of magnificence and dignity that characterized what was known, in the grandiloquent nineties, as the Thatcher mansion.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading An Unpleasant Dinner Party St. Ann’s is an old hospital, sprawling in a great heap of weather-stained red brick and green ivy on the side of Thatcher Hill, a little east and south of the city of B——.

(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 All of the characters in this book, as well as St. Ann’s Hospital, are entirely fictitious.

used to ask for information about something

From this reading The building, though remodelled and added on to here and there, still retains the great, solid walls, the gumwood and walnut woodwork, the large, old-fashioned rooms, and the general air of magnificence and dignity that characterized what was known, in the grandiloquent nineties, as the Thatcher mansion.

belonging to which person

From this reading Time has made changes; quantities of windows, low and wide, modern plumbing, electricity, a telephone to every floor, and added wings whose brick walls have been carefully weather-stained to match the original walls are some of them.

having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other

From this reading Time has made changes; quantities of windows, low and wide, modern plumbing, electricity, a telephone to every floor, and added wings whose brick walls have been carefully weather-stained to match the original walls are some of them.

(trademark) an operating system with a graphical user interface

From this reading Time has made changes; quantities of windows, low and wide, modern plumbing, electricity, a telephone to every floor, and added wings whose brick walls have been carefully weather-stained to match the original walls are some of them.

a means of flight or ascent

From this reading Time has made changes; quantities of windows, low and wide, modern plumbing, electricity, a telephone to every floor, and added wings whose brick walls have been carefully weather-stained to match the original walls are some of them.

work made of wood; especially moldings or stairways or furniture

From this reading The building, though remodelled and added on to here and there, still retains the great, solid walls, the gumwood and walnut woodwork, the large, old-fashioned rooms, and the general air of magnificence and dignity that characterized what was known, in the grandiloquent nineties, as the Thatcher mansion.