used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The women servants made a gay picture in their many coloured cotton dresses, head and neck kerchiefs, and the maids employed in the house diffused a scent of cloves within a ten yards radius.
prior to a specified or implied time
From this reading The coachmen, already drunk, donned their new dark blue caftans, and their hair shone with grease.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading The horses were being harnessed to the calèche and to an old fashioned carriage.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Tatiana Markovna’s household was full of stir and bustle.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At ten o’clock the big bell in the village church began to sound for Mass.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading At ten o’clock the big bell in the village church began to sound for Mass.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading The horses were being harnessed to the calèche and to an old fashioned carriage.
a hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck
From this reading At ten o’clock the big bell in the village church began to sound for Mass.
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading At ten o’clock the big bell in the village church began to sound for Mass.
of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky
From this reading The coachmen, already drunk, donned their new dark blue caftans, and their hair shone with grease.
bustlenounUS /ˈbʌsəl/
a rapid active commotion
From this reading Tatiana Markovna’s household was full of stir and bustle.
caftansnounUS /ˈkæftænz/
plural of “caftan” — a woman's dress style that imitates the caftan cloaks worn by men in the Near East
From this reading The coachmen, already drunk, donned their new dark blue caftans, and their hair shone with grease.
calèche
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The horses were being harnessed to the calèche and to an old fashioned carriage.
a railcar where passengers ride
From this reading The horses were being harnessed to the calèche and to an old fashioned carriage.
one of the groups of Christians who have their own beliefs and forms of worship
From this reading At ten o’clock the big bell in the village church began to sound for Mass.
clovesnounUS /kloʊvz/
plural of “clove” — aromatic flower bud of a clove tree; yields a spice
From this reading The women servants made a gay picture in their many coloured cotton dresses, head and neck kerchiefs, and the maids employed in the house diffused a scent of cloves within a ten yards radius.
coachmen
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The coachmen, already drunk, donned their new dark blue caftans, and their hair shone with grease.
colouredadjectiveUS /ˈkʌlərd/
having color or a certain color; sometimes used in combination
From this reading The women servants made a gay picture in their many coloured cotton dresses, head and neck kerchiefs, and the maids employed in the house diffused a scent of cloves within a ten yards radius.
cottonnounUS /ˈkɑːtən/
soft silky fibers from cotton plants in their raw state
From this reading The women servants made a gay picture in their many coloured cotton dresses, head and neck kerchiefs, and the maids employed in the house diffused a scent of cloves within a ten yards radius.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading The coachmen, already drunk, donned their new dark blue caftans, and their hair shone with grease.
diffusedadjectiveUS /dɪˈfjuːzd/
(of light rays) subjected to scattering by reflection from a rough surface or transmission through a translucent material
From this reading The women servants made a gay picture in their many coloured cotton dresses, head and neck kerchiefs, and the maids employed in the house diffused a scent of cloves within a ten yards radius.
donnedverbUS /dɑːnd/
inflected form of “don” — put clothing on one's body
From this reading The coachmen, already drunk, donned their new dark blue caftans, and their hair shone with grease.
dressesnounUS /ˈdresəz/
plural of “dress” — a one-piece garment for a woman; has skirt and bodice
From this reading The women servants made a gay picture in their many coloured cotton dresses, head and neck kerchiefs, and the maids employed in the house diffused a scent of cloves within a ten yards radius.
stupefied or excited by a chemical substance (especially alcohol)
From this reading The coachmen, already drunk, donned their new dark blue caftans, and their hair shone with grease.
having your services engaged for; or having a job especially one that pays wages or a salary
From this reading The women servants made a gay picture in their many coloured cotton dresses, head and neck kerchiefs, and the maids employed in the house diffused a scent of cloves within a ten yards radius.
fashionedadjectiveUS /ˈfæʃənd/
planned and made or fashioned artistically
From this reading The horses were being harnessed to the calèche and to an old fashioned carriage.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading At ten o’clock the big bell in the village church began to sound for Mass.
containing as much or as many as is possible or normal
From this reading Tatiana Markovna’s household was full of stir and bustle.
bright and pleasant; promoting a feeling of cheer
From this reading The women servants made a gay picture in their many coloured cotton dresses, head and neck kerchiefs, and the maids employed in the house diffused a scent of cloves within a ten yards radius.
greasenounUS /ɡriːs/
a thick fatty oil (especially one used to lubricate machinery)
From this reading The coachmen, already drunk, donned their new dark blue caftans, and their hair shone with grease.
a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss
From this reading The coachmen, already drunk, donned their new dark blue caftans, and their hair shone with grease.
harnessedadjectiveUS /ˈhɑːrnəst/
brought under control and put to use
From this reading The horses were being harnessed to the calèche and to an old fashioned carriage.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading The women servants made a gay picture in their many coloured cotton dresses, head and neck kerchiefs, and the maids employed in the house diffused a scent of cloves within a ten yards radius.
plural of “horse” — solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times
From this reading The horses were being harnessed to the calèche and to an old fashioned carriage.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading The women servants made a gay picture in their many coloured cotton dresses, head and neck kerchiefs, and the maids employed in the house diffused a scent of cloves within a ten yards radius.
a social unit living together
From this reading Tatiana Markovna’s household was full of stir and bustle.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading At ten o’clock the big bell in the village church began to sound for Mass.
kerchiefsnounUS /ˈkɜːrtʃəfs/
plural of “kerchief” — a square scarf that is folded into a triangle and worn over the head or about the neck
From this reading The women servants made a gay picture in their many coloured cotton dresses, head and neck kerchiefs, and the maids employed in the house diffused a scent of cloves within a ten yards radius.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading The women servants made a gay picture in their many coloured cotton dresses, head and neck kerchiefs, and the maids employed in the house diffused a scent of cloves within a ten yards radius.
maidsnounUS /meɪdz/
plural of “maid” — a female domestic
From this reading The women servants made a gay picture in their many coloured cotton dresses, head and neck kerchiefs, and the maids employed in the house diffused a scent of cloves within a ten yards radius.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading The women servants made a gay picture in their many coloured cotton dresses, head and neck kerchiefs, and the maids employed in the house diffused a scent of cloves within a ten yards radius.
Markovna's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Tatiana Markovna’s household was full of stir and bustle.
the property of a body that causes it to have weight in a gravitational field
From this reading At ten o’clock the big bell in the village church began to sound for Mass.
the part of an organism (human or animal) that connects the head to the rest of the body
From this reading The women servants made a gay picture in their many coloured cotton dresses, head and neck kerchiefs, and the maids employed in the house diffused a scent of cloves within a ten yards radius.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading The coachmen, already drunk, donned their new dark blue caftans, and their hair shone with grease.
o'clockadverbUS /əˈklɑːk/
according to the clock
From this reading At ten o’clock the big bell in the village church began to sound for Mass.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Tatiana Markovna’s household was full of stir and bustle.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading The horses were being harnessed to the calèche and to an old fashioned carriage.
a visual representation (of an object or scene or person or abstraction) produced on a surface
From this reading The women servants made a gay picture in their many coloured cotton dresses, head and neck kerchiefs, and the maids employed in the house diffused a scent of cloves within a ten yards radius.
radiusnounUS /ˈreɪdiəs/
the length of a line segment between the center and circumference of a circle or sphere
From this reading The women servants made a gay picture in their many coloured cotton dresses, head and neck kerchiefs, and the maids employed in the house diffused a scent of cloves within a ten yards radius.
scentnounUS /sɛnt/
A distinctive smell or aroma.
From this reading The women servants made a gay picture in their many coloured cotton dresses, head and neck kerchiefs, and the maids employed in the house diffused a scent of cloves within a ten yards radius.
plural of “servant” — a person working in the service of another (especially in the household)
From this reading The women servants made a gay picture in their many coloured cotton dresses, head and neck kerchiefs, and the maids employed in the house diffused a scent of cloves within a ten yards radius.
inflected form of “shine” — be bright by reflecting or casting light
From this reading The coachmen, already drunk, donned their new dark blue caftans, and their hair shone with grease.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading At ten o’clock the big bell in the village church began to sound for Mass.
move an implement through
From this reading Tatiana Markovna’s household was full of stir and bustle.
Tatiana
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Tatiana Markovna’s household was full of stir and bustle.
the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system
From this reading At ten o’clock the big bell in the village church began to sound for Mass.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading At ten o’clock the big bell in the village church began to sound for Mass.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading The coachmen, already drunk, donned their new dark blue caftans, and their hair shone with grease.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading At ten o’clock the big bell in the village church began to sound for Mass.
a community of people smaller than a town
From this reading At ten o’clock the big bell in the village church began to sound for Mass.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Tatiana Markovna’s household was full of stir and bustle.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The horses were being harnessed to the calèche and to an old fashioned carriage.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The coachmen, already drunk, donned their new dark blue caftans, and their hair shone with grease.
inside; before a period of time has passed
From this reading The women servants made a gay picture in their many coloured cotton dresses, head and neck kerchiefs, and the maids employed in the house diffused a scent of cloves within a ten yards radius.
plural of “woman” — an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading The women servants made a gay picture in their many coloured cotton dresses, head and neck kerchiefs, and the maids employed in the house diffused a scent of cloves within a ten yards radius.
plural of “yard” — a unit of length equal to 3 feet; defined as 91.44 centimeters; originally taken to be the average length of a stride
From this reading The women servants made a gay picture in their many coloured cotton dresses, head and neck kerchiefs, and the maids employed in the house diffused a scent of cloves within a ten yards radius.
