used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading He hastened to tie his tie and pull on a smoking jacket, listening all the while to his wife’s modulated but gay young voice.
adjoiningverbUS /əˈdʒɔɪnɪŋ/
-ing form of “adjoin” — lie adjacent to another or share a boundary
From this reading June sunshine poured through the window of his bedroom in the Ritz; and Cleves had just finished dressing when he heard his wife’s voice in the adjoining sitting-room.
(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 He hastened to tie his tie and pull on a smoking jacket, listening all the while to his wife’s modulated but gay young voice.
aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/
Having no one else present.
From this reading And found his wife entirely alone.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading June sunshine poured through the window of his bedroom in the Ritz; and Cleves had just finished dressing when he heard his wife’s voice in the adjoining sitting-room.
awakeadjectiveUS /əˈweɪk/
not in a state of sleep; completely conscious
From this reading He had not supposed that Tressa was awake.
a room used primarily for sleeping
From this reading June sunshine poured through the window of his bedroom in the Ritz; and Cleves had just finished dressing when he heard his wife’s voice in the adjoining sitting-room.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading He hastened to tie his tie and pull on a smoking jacket, listening all the while to his wife’s modulated but gay young voice.
Cleves
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading June sunshine poured through the window of his bedroom in the Ritz; and Cleves had just finished dressing when he heard his wife’s voice in the adjoining sitting-room.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading Then he opened the sitting-room door and went in.
dressingnounUS /ˈdresɪŋ/
savory dressings for salads; basically of two kinds: either the thin French or vinaigrette type or the creamy mayonnaise type
From this reading June sunshine poured through the window of his bedroom in the Ritz; and Cleves had just finished dressing when he heard his wife’s voice in the adjoining sitting-room.
to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)
From this reading And found his wife entirely alone.
(of materials or goods) brought to the desired final state
From this reading June sunshine poured through the window of his bedroom in the Ritz; and Cleves had just finished dressing when he heard his wife’s voice in the adjoining sitting-room.
set up or found
From this reading And found his wife entirely alone.
bright and pleasant; promoting a feeling of cheer
From this reading He hastened to tie his tie and pull on a smoking jacket, listening all the while to his wife’s modulated but gay young voice.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading June sunshine poured through the window of his bedroom in the Ritz; and Cleves had just finished dressing when he heard his wife’s voice in the adjoining sitting-room.
past form of “hasten” — act or move at high speed
From this reading He hastened to tie his tie and pull on a smoking jacket, listening all the while to his wife’s modulated but gay young voice.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading June sunshine poured through the window of his bedroom in the Ritz; and Cleves had just finished dressing when he heard his wife’s voice in the adjoining sitting-room.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading June sunshine poured through the window of his bedroom in the Ritz; and Cleves had just finished dressing when he heard his wife’s voice in the adjoining sitting-room.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading June sunshine poured through the window of his bedroom in the Ritz; and Cleves had just finished dressing when he heard his wife’s voice in the adjoining sitting-room.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading June sunshine poured through the window of his bedroom in the Ritz; and Cleves had just finished dressing when he heard his wife’s voice in the adjoining sitting-room.
jacketnounUS /ˈdʒækət/
a short coat
From this reading He hastened to tie his tie and pull on a smoking jacket, listening all the while to his wife’s modulated but gay young voice.
the month following May and preceding July
From this reading June sunshine poured through the window of his bedroom in the Ritz; and Cleves had just finished dressing when he heard his wife’s voice in the adjoining sitting-room.
and nothing more
From this reading June sunshine poured through the window of his bedroom in the Ritz; and Cleves had just finished dressing when he heard his wife’s voice in the adjoining sitting-room.
the act of hearing attentively
From this reading He hastened to tie his tie and pull on a smoking jacket, listening all the while to his wife’s modulated but gay young voice.
modulatedadjectiveUS /ˈmɔːdʒjuːleɪtɪd/
changed or adjusted in pitch, tone, or volume
From this reading He hastened to tie his tie and pull on a smoking jacket, listening all the while to his wife’s modulated but gay young voice.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading He had not supposed that Tressa was awake.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading June sunshine poured through the window of his bedroom in the Ritz; and Cleves had just finished dressing when he heard his wife’s voice in the adjoining sitting-room.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading He hastened to tie his tie and pull on a smoking jacket, listening all the while to his wife’s modulated but gay young voice.
used of mouth or eyes
From this reading Then he opened the sitting-room door and went in.
past form of “pour” — cause to run
From this reading June sunshine poured through the window of his bedroom in the Ritz; and Cleves had just finished dressing when he heard his wife’s voice in the adjoining sitting-room.
cause to move by pulling
From this reading He hastened to tie his tie and pull on a smoking jacket, listening all the while to his wife’s modulated but gay young voice.
RitznounUS /rɪts/
Swiss hotelier who created a chain of elegant hotels (1850-1918)
From this reading June sunshine poured through the window of his bedroom in the Ritz; and Cleves had just finished dressing when he heard his wife’s voice in the adjoining sitting-room.
sitting-room
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading June sunshine poured through the window of his bedroom in the Ritz; and Cleves had just finished dressing when he heard his wife’s voice in the adjoining sitting-room.
the act of smoking tobacco or other substances
From this reading He hastened to tie his tie and pull on a smoking jacket, listening all the while to his wife’s modulated but gay young voice.
the rays of the sun
From this reading June sunshine poured through the window of his bedroom in the Ritz; and Cleves had just finished dressing when he heard his wife’s voice in the adjoining sitting-room.
required or under orders
From this reading He had not supposed that Tressa was awake.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He had not supposed that Tressa was awake.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading June sunshine poured through the window of his bedroom in the Ritz; and Cleves had just finished dressing when he heard his wife’s voice in the adjoining sitting-room.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then he opened the sitting-room door and went in.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading June sunshine poured through the window of his bedroom in the Ritz; and Cleves had just finished dressing when he heard his wife’s voice in the adjoining sitting-room.
tienounUS /taɪ/
neckwear consisting of a long narrow piece of material worn (mostly by men) under a collar and tied in knot at the front
From this reading He hastened to tie his tie and pull on a smoking jacket, listening all the while to his wife’s modulated but gay young voice.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He hastened to tie his tie and pull on a smoking jacket, listening all the while to his wife’s modulated but gay young voice.
Tressa
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had not supposed that Tressa was awake.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading June sunshine poured through the window of his bedroom in the Ritz; and Cleves had just finished dressing when he heard his wife’s voice in the adjoining sitting-room.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He had not supposed that Tressa was awake.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Then he opened the sitting-room door and went in.
at the time that
From this reading June sunshine poured through the window of his bedroom in the Ritz; and Cleves had just finished dressing when he heard his wife’s voice in the adjoining sitting-room.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading He hastened to tie his tie and pull on a smoking jacket, listening all the while to his wife’s modulated but gay young voice.
a married woman; a man's partner in marriage
From this reading And found his wife entirely alone.
wife'snounUS /waɪfs/
possessive form of “wife” — a married woman; a man's partner in marriage
From this reading June sunshine poured through the window of his bedroom in the Ritz; and Cleves had just finished dressing when he heard his wife’s voice in the adjoining sitting-room.
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 June sunshine poured through the window of his bedroom in the Ritz; and Cleves had just finished dressing when he heard his wife’s voice in the adjoining sitting-room.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading He hastened to tie his tie and pull on a smoking jacket, listening all the while to his wife’s modulated but gay young voice.
