used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading At a table in the dining-room sat Monsieur and Madame Lavilette, the father of Magon Farcinelle, and Shangois, the notary.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading It was about ten o'clock.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading At a table in the dining-room sat Monsieur and Madame Lavilette, the father of Magon Farcinelle, and Shangois, the notary.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At a table in the dining-room sat Monsieur and Madame Lavilette, the father of Magon Farcinelle, and Shangois, the notary.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading The marriage contract was before them.
the act of burning something
From this reading Lights were burning in every window.
contractverbUS /ˈkɑːntrækt/
enter into a contractual arrangement
From this reading The marriage contract was before them.
an effort that is inconvenient
From this reading They had reached a point of difficulty.
dining-roomnoun
a room used for dining
From this reading At a table in the dining-room sat Monsieur and Madame Lavilette, the father of Magon Farcinelle, and Shangois, the notary.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading Lights were burning in every window.
Farcinelle
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At a table in the dining-room sat Monsieur and Madame Lavilette, the father of Magon Farcinelle, and Shangois, the notary.
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading At a table in the dining-room sat Monsieur and Madame Lavilette, the father of Magon Farcinelle, and Shangois, the notary.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading They had reached a point of difficulty.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Lights were burning in every window.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was about ten o'clock.
Lavilette
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At a table in the dining-room sat Monsieur and Madame Lavilette, the father of Magon Farcinelle, and Shangois, the notary.
plural of “light” — (physics) electromagnetic radiation that can produce a visual sensation
From this reading Lights were burning in every window.
title used for a married Frenchwoman
From this reading At a table in the dining-room sat Monsieur and Madame Lavilette, the father of Magon Farcinelle, and Shangois, the notary.
Magon
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At a table in the dining-room sat Monsieur and Madame Lavilette, the father of Magon Farcinelle, and Shangois, the notary.
the state of being a married couple voluntarily joined for life (or until divorce)
From this reading The marriage contract was before them.
used as a French courtesy title; equivalent to English “Mr”
From this reading At a table in the dining-room sat Monsieur and Madame Lavilette, the father of Magon Farcinelle, and Shangois, the notary.
notarynounUS /ˈnoʊtəri/
someone legally empowered to witness signatures and certify a document's validity and to take depositions
From this reading At a table in the dining-room sat Monsieur and Madame Lavilette, the father of Magon Farcinelle, and Shangois, the notary.
o'clockadverbUS /əˈklɑːk/
according to the clock
From this reading It was about ten o'clock.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading At a table in the dining-room sat Monsieur and Madame Lavilette, the father of Magon Farcinelle, and Shangois, the notary.
a geometric element that has position but no extension
From this reading They had reached a point of difficulty.
past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading They had reached a point of difficulty.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading At a table in the dining-room sat Monsieur and Madame Lavilette, the father of Magon Farcinelle, and Shangois, the notary.
Shangois
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At a table in the dining-room sat Monsieur and Madame Lavilette, the father of Magon Farcinelle, and Shangois, the notary.
a set of data arranged in rows and columns
From this reading At a table in the dining-room sat Monsieur and Madame Lavilette, the father of Magon Farcinelle, and Shangois, the notary.
the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system
From this reading It was about ten o'clock.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading At a table in the dining-room sat Monsieur and Madame Lavilette, the father of Magon Farcinelle, and Shangois, the notary.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading The marriage contract was before them.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They had reached a point of difficulty.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was about ten o'clock.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Lights were burning in every window.
a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air
From this reading Lights were burning in every window.