used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A PASSAGE AT ARMS At Brindisi, a month later, Grace found Douglass's letter awaiting her.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading She always read his letters so, punctuating each tender sentence with a kiss and going to sleep with It tucked In her nightdress next her heart.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading This was an unusually bulky enclosure and she hugged it in anticipation; how sweet it was of him to devote so much of his time to her in his busiest season.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading She kissed it furtively and thrust it in her bosom, reserving its reading for the privacy of her room.
anticipationnounUS /ænˌtɪsəˈpeɪʃən/
an expectation
From this reading This was an unusually bulky enclosure and she hugged it in anticipation; how sweet it was of him to devote so much of his time to her in his busiest season.
weapons considered collectively
From this reading A PASSAGE AT ARMS At Brindisi, a month later, Grace found Douglass's letter awaiting her.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading A PASSAGE AT ARMS At Brindisi, a month later, Grace found Douglass's letter awaiting her.
awaitingverbUS /əˈweɪtɪŋ/
-ing form of “await” — look forward to the probable occurrence of
From this reading A PASSAGE AT ARMS At Brindisi, a month later, Grace found Douglass's letter awaiting her.
a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep
From this reading Not until she had crept into bed did she open the prosaic government-stamped envelope which he methodically used.
the chest considered as the place where secret thoughts are kept
From this reading She kissed it furtively and thrust it in her bosom, reserving its reading for the privacy of her room.
Brindisinoun
a port city in southeastern Apulia in Italy; a center for the Crusades in the Middle Ages
From this reading A PASSAGE AT ARMS At Brindisi, a month later, Grace found Douglass's letter awaiting her.
bulkyadjectiveUS /ˈbʌlki/
of large size for its weight
From this reading This was an unusually bulky enclosure and she hugged it in anticipation; how sweet it was of him to devote so much of his time to her in his busiest season.
busiestadjectiveUS /ˈbɪziəst/
superlative of “busy” — actively or fully engaged or occupied
From this reading This was an unusually bulky enclosure and she hugged it in anticipation; how sweet it was of him to devote so much of his time to her in his busiest season.
inflected form of “creep” — move slowly; in the case of people or animals with the body near the ground
From this reading Not until she had crept into bed did she open the prosaic government-stamped envelope which he methodically used.
devoteverbUS /dɪˈvoʊt/
give entirely to a specific person, activity, or cause
From this reading This was an unusually bulky enclosure and she hugged it in anticipation; how sweet it was of him to devote so much of his time to her in his busiest season.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading Not until she had crept into bed did she open the prosaic government-stamped envelope which he methodically used.
Douglass's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A PASSAGE AT ARMS At Brindisi, a month later, Grace found Douglass's letter awaiting her.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading She always read his letters so, punctuating each tender sentence with a kiss and going to sleep with It tucked In her nightdress next her heart.
enclosurenounUS /enˈkloʊʒər/
a structure consisting of an area that has been enclosed for some purpose
From this reading This was an unusually bulky enclosure and she hugged it in anticipation; how sweet it was of him to devote so much of his time to her in his busiest season.
envelopenounUS /ˈenvəloʊp/
a flat (usually rectangular) container for a letter, thin package, etc.
From this reading Not until she had crept into bed did she open the prosaic government-stamped envelope which he methodically used.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading She kissed it furtively and thrust it in her bosom, reserving its reading for the privacy of her room.
set up or found
From this reading A PASSAGE AT ARMS At Brindisi, a month later, Grace found Douglass's letter awaiting her.
furtivelyadverbUS /ˈfɜːrtɪvli/
in a furtive manner
From this reading She kissed it furtively and thrust it in her bosom, reserving its reading for the privacy of her room.
the act of departing
From this reading She always read his letters so, punctuating each tender sentence with a kiss and going to sleep with It tucked In her nightdress next her heart.
government-stamped
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Not until she had crept into bed did she open the prosaic government-stamped envelope which he methodically used.
(Christian theology) a state of sanctification by God; the state of one who is under such divine influence
From this reading A PASSAGE AT ARMS At Brindisi, a month later, Grace found Douglass's letter awaiting her.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Not until she had crept into bed did she open the prosaic government-stamped envelope which he methodically used.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Not until she had crept into bed did she open the prosaic government-stamped envelope which he methodically used.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading She always read his letters so, punctuating each tender sentence with a kiss and going to sleep with It tucked In her nightdress next her heart.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading A PASSAGE AT ARMS At Brindisi, a month later, Grace found Douglass's letter awaiting her.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading This was an unusually bulky enclosure and she hugged it in anticipation; how sweet it was of him to devote so much of his time to her in his busiest season.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading She always read his letters so, punctuating each tender sentence with a kiss and going to sleep with It tucked In her nightdress next her heart.
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This was an unusually bulky enclosure and she hugged it in anticipation; how sweet it was of him to devote so much of his time to her in his busiest season.
huggedverbUS /hʌɡd/
inflected form of “hug” — hold (someone) tightly in your arms, usually with fondness
From this reading This was an unusually bulky enclosure and she hugged it in anticipation; how sweet it was of him to devote so much of his time to her in his busiest season.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading She kissed it furtively and thrust it in her bosom, reserving its reading for the privacy of her room.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Not until she had crept into bed did she open the prosaic government-stamped envelope which he methodically used.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading She kissed it furtively and thrust it in her bosom, reserving its reading for the privacy of her room.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading She kissed it furtively and thrust it in her bosom, reserving its reading for the privacy of her room.
the act of caressing with the lips (or an instance thereof)
From this reading She always read his letters so, punctuating each tender sentence with a kiss and going to sleep with It tucked In her nightdress next her heart.
past form of “kiss” — touch with the lips or press the lips (against someone's mouth or other body part) as an expression of love, greeting, etc.
From this reading She kissed it furtively and thrust it in her bosom, reserving its reading for the privacy of her room.
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading A PASSAGE AT ARMS At Brindisi, a month later, Grace found Douglass's letter awaiting her.
a written message addressed to a person or organization
From this reading A PASSAGE AT ARMS At Brindisi, a month later, Grace found Douglass's letter awaiting her.
the literary culture
From this reading She always read his letters so, punctuating each tender sentence with a kiss and going to sleep with It tucked In her nightdress next her heart.
methodicallyadverbUS /məˈθɑːdɪkəli/
in a methodical manner
From this reading Not until she had crept into bed did she open the prosaic government-stamped envelope which he methodically used.
one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year
From this reading A PASSAGE AT ARMS At Brindisi, a month later, Grace found Douglass's letter awaiting her.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading This was an unusually bulky enclosure and she hugged it in anticipation; how sweet it was of him to devote so much of his time to her in his busiest season.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading She always read his letters so, punctuating each tender sentence with a kiss and going to sleep with It tucked In her nightdress next her heart.
nightdressnoun
lingerie consisting of a loose dress designed to be worn in bed by women
From this reading She always read his letters so, punctuating each tender sentence with a kiss and going to sleep with It tucked In her nightdress next her heart.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Not until she had crept into bed did she open the prosaic government-stamped envelope which he methodically used.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading She kissed it furtively and thrust it in her bosom, reserving its reading for the privacy of her room.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading Not until she had crept into bed did she open the prosaic government-stamped envelope which he methodically used.
the act of passing from one state or place to the next
From this reading A PASSAGE AT ARMS At Brindisi, a month later, Grace found Douglass's letter awaiting her.
privacynounUS /ˈpraɪvəsi/
the quality of being secluded from the presence or view of others
From this reading She kissed it furtively and thrust it in her bosom, reserving its reading for the privacy of her room.
prosaicadjectiveUS /proʊˈzeɪɪk/
not fanciful or imaginative
From this reading Not until she had crept into bed did she open the prosaic government-stamped envelope which he methodically used.
punctuatingverbUS /ˈpʌŋktʃuːeɪdɪŋ/
-ing form of “punctuate” — insert punctuation marks into
From this reading She always read his letters so, punctuating each tender sentence with a kiss and going to sleep with It tucked In her nightdress next her heart.
interpret something that is written or printed
From this reading She always read his letters so, punctuating each tender sentence with a kiss and going to sleep with It tucked In her nightdress next her heart.
the cognitive process of understanding a written linguistic message
From this reading She kissed it furtively and thrust it in her bosom, reserving its reading for the privacy of her room.
reservingverbUS /rɪˈzɜːrvɪŋ/
-ing form of “reserve” — hold back or set aside, especially for future use or contingency
From this reading She kissed it furtively and thrust it in her bosom, reserving its reading for the privacy of her room.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading She kissed it furtively and thrust it in her bosom, reserving its reading for the privacy of her room.
a period of the year marked by special events or activities in some field
From this reading This was an unusually bulky enclosure and she hugged it in anticipation; how sweet it was of him to devote so much of his time to her in his busiest season.
a string of words satisfying the grammatical rules of a language
From this reading She always read his letters so, punctuating each tender sentence with a kiss and going to sleep with It tucked In her nightdress next her heart.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She kissed it furtively and thrust it in her bosom, reserving its reading for the privacy of her room.
a natural and periodic state of rest during which consciousness of the world is suspended
From this reading She always read his letters so, punctuating each tender sentence with a kiss and going to sleep with It tucked In her nightdress next her heart.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading She always read his letters so, punctuating each tender sentence with a kiss and going to sleep with It tucked In her nightdress next her heart.
having or denoting the characteristic taste of sugar
From this reading This was an unusually bulky enclosure and she hugged it in anticipation; how sweet it was of him to devote so much of his time to her in his busiest season.
given to sympathy or gentleness or sentimentality
From this reading She always read his letters so, punctuating each tender sentence with a kiss and going to sleep with It tucked In her nightdress next her heart.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading She kissed it furtively and thrust it in her bosom, reserving its reading for the privacy of her room.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This was an unusually bulky enclosure and she hugged it in anticipation; how sweet it was of him to devote so much of his time to her in his busiest season.
push forcefully
From this reading She kissed it furtively and thrust it in her bosom, reserving its reading for the privacy of her room.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading This was an unusually bulky enclosure and she hugged it in anticipation; how sweet it was of him to devote so much of his time to her in his busiest season.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading She always read his letters so, punctuating each tender sentence with a kiss and going to sleep with It tucked In her nightdress next her heart.
tuckedadjectiveUS /tʌkt/
having tucked or being tucked
From this reading She always read his letters so, punctuating each tender sentence with a kiss and going to sleep with It tucked In her nightdress next her heart.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading Not until she had crept into bed did she open the prosaic government-stamped envelope which he methodically used.
unusuallyadverbUS /əˈnjuːʒuːəli/
to a remarkable degree or extent
From this reading This was an unusually bulky enclosure and she hugged it in anticipation; how sweet it was of him to devote so much of his time to her in his busiest season.
employed in accomplishing something
From this reading Not until she had crept into bed did she open the prosaic government-stamped envelope which he methodically used.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading This was an unusually bulky enclosure and she hugged it in anticipation; how sweet it was of him to devote so much of his time to her in his busiest season.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Not until she had crept into bed did she open the prosaic government-stamped envelope which he methodically used.
in the company of; together with
From this reading She always read his letters so, punctuating each tender sentence with a kiss and going to sleep with It tucked In her nightdress next her heart.
