used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading There was a little feeling of despondency in her heart.
(usually followed by “to”) having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something
From this reading She had slept badly, and she had not been able to forget what June had said about Ashton.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading She had slept badly, and she had not been able to forget what June had said about Ashton.
anew
From this reading Esther climbed the stairs of the agency again the following morning.
agencynounUS /ˈeɪdʒənsi/
an administrative unit of government
From this reading Esther climbed the stairs of the agency again the following morning.
(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 Esther was influenced by June's "instincts," as she chose to call them; she knew it was foolish, but the fact remained all the same.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading She had slept badly, and she had not been able to forget what June had said about Ashton.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Esther was influenced by June's "instincts," as she chose to call them; she knew it was foolish, but the fact remained all the same.
AshtonnounUS /ˈæʃtən/
British choreographer (1906-1988)
From this reading She had slept badly, and she had not been able to forget what June had said about Ashton.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading When she opened the waiting-room door she felt half inclined to turn and go away again.
to a severe or serious degree
From this reading She had slept badly, and she had not been able to forget what June had said about Ashton.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading She had slept badly, and she had not been able to forget what June had said about Ashton.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Esther was influenced by June's "instincts," as she chose to call them; she knew it was foolish, but the fact remained all the same.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Esther was influenced by June's "instincts," as she chose to call them; she knew it was foolish, but the fact remained all the same.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading Esther was influenced by June's "instincts," as she chose to call them; she knew it was foolish, but the fact remained all the same.
inflected form of “choose” — pick out, select, or choose from a number of alternatives
From this reading Esther was influenced by June's "instincts," as she chose to call them; she knew it was foolish, but the fact remained all the same.
past form of “climb” — go upward with gradual or continuous progress
From this reading Esther climbed the stairs of the agency again the following morning.
despondencynounUS /dɪˈspɑːndənsi/
feeling downcast and disheartened and hopeless
From this reading There was a little feeling of despondency in her heart.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading When she opened the waiting-room door she felt half inclined to turn and go away again.
EsthernounUS /ˈestər/
(Old Testament) a beautiful Jewess chosen by the king of Persia to be his queen; she stopped a plot to massacre all the Jews in Persia (an event celebrated by Jews as the feast of Purim)
From this reading Esther climbed the stairs of the agency again the following morning.
a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred
From this reading Esther was influenced by June's "instincts," as she chose to call them; she knew it was foolish, but the fact remained all the same.
the experiencing of affective and emotional states
From this reading There was a little feeling of despondency in her heart.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading When she opened the waiting-room door she felt half inclined to turn and go away again.
about to be mentioned or specified
From this reading Esther climbed the stairs of the agency again the following morning.
devoid of good sense or judgment
From this reading Esther was influenced by June's "instincts," as she chose to call them; she knew it was foolish, but the fact remained all the same.
dismiss from the mind; stop remembering
From this reading She had slept badly, and she had not been able to forget what June had said about Ashton.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading When she opened the waiting-room door she felt half inclined to turn and go away again.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading She had slept badly, and she had not been able to forget what June had said about Ashton.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading When she opened the waiting-room door she felt half inclined to turn and go away again.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading There was a little feeling of despondency in her heart.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading There was a little feeling of despondency in her heart.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading There was a little feeling of despondency in her heart.
(often followed by “to”) having a preference, disposition, or tendency
From this reading When she opened the waiting-room door she felt half inclined to turn and go away again.
influencedverbUS /ˈɪnfluːənst/
past form of “influence” — have and exert influence or effect
From this reading Esther was influenced by June's "instincts," as she chose to call them; she knew it was foolish, but the fact remained all the same.
instinctsnounUS /ˈɪnstɪŋkts/
plural of “instinct” — inborn pattern of behavior often responsive to specific stimuli
From this reading Esther was influenced by June's "instincts," as she chose to call them; she knew it was foolish, but the fact remained all the same.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Esther was influenced by June's "instincts," as she chose to call them; she knew it was foolish, but the fact remained all the same.
the month following May and preceding July
From this reading She had slept badly, and she had not been able to forget what June had said about Ashton.
June'snounUS /dʒuːnz/
possessive form of “june” — the month following May and preceding July
From this reading Esther was influenced by June's "instincts," as she chose to call them; she knew it was foolish, but the fact remained all the same.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading Esther was influenced by June's "instincts," as she chose to call them; she knew it was foolish, but the fact remained all the same.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading There was a little feeling of despondency in her heart.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading Esther climbed the stairs of the agency again the following morning.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading She had slept badly, and she had not been able to forget what June had said about Ashton.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Esther climbed the stairs of the agency again the following morning.
used of mouth or eyes
From this reading When she opened the waiting-room door she felt half inclined to turn and go away again.
past form of “remain” — stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading Esther was influenced by June's "instincts," as she chose to call them; she knew it was foolish, but the fact remained all the same.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading She had slept badly, and she had not been able to forget what June had said about Ashton.
Identical; not different.
From this reading Esther was influenced by June's "instincts," as she chose to call them; she knew it was foolish, but the fact remained all the same.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She had slept badly, and she had not been able to forget what June had said about Ashton.
inflected form of “sleep” — be asleep
From this reading She had slept badly, and she had not been able to forget what June had said about Ashton.
a flight of stairs or a flight of steps
From this reading Esther climbed the stairs of the agency again the following morning.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Esther climbed the stairs of the agency again the following morning.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Esther was influenced by June's "instincts," as she chose to call them; she knew it was foolish, but the fact remained all the same.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was a little feeling of despondency in her heart.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading She had slept badly, and she had not been able to forget what June had said about Ashton.
change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense
From this reading When she opened the waiting-room door she felt half inclined to turn and go away again.
waiting-room
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When she opened the waiting-room door she felt half inclined to turn and go away again.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There was a little feeling of despondency in her heart.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading She had slept badly, and she had not been able to forget what June had said about Ashton.
at the time that
From this reading When she opened the waiting-room door she felt half inclined to turn and go away again.
