used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading He entered an empty boudoir where card-tables were placed awaiting players; and sitting down on a divan he gave himself up to the most contradictory thoughts about her.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading He entered an empty boudoir where card-tables were placed awaiting players; and sitting down on a divan he gave himself up to the most contradictory thoughts about her.
(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 Monsieur de Maulincour was all the more anxious to go to this ball because he knew that Madame Jules would be present.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Auguste passed through the rooms without finding the woman who now exercised so mighty an influence on his fate.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He entered an empty boudoir where card-tables were placed awaiting players; and sitting down on a divan he gave himself up to the most contradictory thoughts about her.
eagerly desirous
From this reading Monsieur de Maulincour was all the more anxious to go to this ball because he knew that Madame Jules would be present.
a human limb; technically the part of the superior limb between the shoulder and the elbow but commonly used to refer to the whole superior limb
From this reading A man presently took the young officer by the arm, and looking up the baron was stupefied to behold the pauper of the rue Coquilliere, the Ferragus of Ida, the lodger in the rue Soly, the Bourignard of Justin, the convict of the police, and the dead man of the day before.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The fete was given by the Prefect of the Seine, in whose salons the two social worlds of Paris met as on neutral ground.
Auguste
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Auguste passed through the rooms without finding the woman who now exercised so mighty an influence on his fate.
awaitingverbUS /əˈweɪtɪŋ/
-ing form of “await” — look forward to the probable occurrence of
From this reading He entered an empty boudoir where card-tables were placed awaiting players; and sitting down on a divan he gave himself up to the most contradictory thoughts about her.
round object that is hit or thrown or kicked in games
From this reading Monsieur de Maulincour was all the more anxious to go to this ball because he knew that Madame Jules would be present.
a nobleman (in various countries) of varying rank
From this reading A man presently took the young officer by the arm, and looking up the baron was stupefied to behold the pauper of the rue Coquilliere, the Ferragus of Ida, the lodger in the rue Soly, the Bourignard of Justin, the convict of the police, and the dead man of the day before.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Monsieur de Maulincour was all the more anxious to go to this ball because he knew that Madame Jules would be present.
for the reason that
From this reading Monsieur de Maulincour was all the more anxious to go to this ball because he knew that Madame Jules would be present.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading A man presently took the young officer by the arm, and looking up the baron was stupefied to behold the pauper of the rue Coquilliere, the Ferragus of Ida, the lodger in the rue Soly, the Bourignard of Justin, the convict of the police, and the dead man of the day before.
see with attention
From this reading A man presently took the young officer by the arm, and looking up the baron was stupefied to behold the pauper of the rue Coquilliere, the Ferragus of Ida, the lodger in the rue Soly, the Bourignard of Justin, the convict of the police, and the dead man of the day before.
boudoirnounUS /ˈbuːdɔɪr/
a lady's bedroom or private sitting room
From this reading He entered an empty boudoir where card-tables were placed awaiting players; and sitting down on a divan he gave himself up to the most contradictory thoughts about her.
Bourignard
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A man presently took the young officer by the arm, and looking up the baron was stupefied to behold the pauper of the rue Coquilliere, the Ferragus of Ida, the lodger in the rue Soly, the Bourignard of Justin, the convict of the police, and the dead man of the day before.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The fete was given by the Prefect of the Seine, in whose salons the two social worlds of Paris met as on neutral ground.
card-tables
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He entered an empty boudoir where card-tables were placed awaiting players; and sitting down on a divan he gave himself up to the most contradictory thoughts about her.
contradictoryadjectiveUS /ˌkɑːntrəˈdɪktəri/
of words or propositions so related that both cannot be true and both cannot be false
From this reading He entered an empty boudoir where card-tables were placed awaiting players; and sitting down on a divan he gave himself up to the most contradictory thoughts about her.
convictnounUS /ˈkɑːnvɪkt/
a person serving a sentence in a jail or prison
From this reading A man presently took the young officer by the arm, and looking up the baron was stupefied to behold the pauper of the rue Coquilliere, the Ferragus of Ida, the lodger in the rue Soly, the Bourignard of Justin, the convict of the police, and the dead man of the day before.
Coquilliere
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A man presently took the young officer by the arm, and looking up the baron was stupefied to behold the pauper of the rue Coquilliere, the Ferragus of Ida, the lodger in the rue Soly, the Bourignard of Justin, the convict of the police, and the dead man of the day before.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading A man presently took the young officer by the arm, and looking up the baron was stupefied to behold the pauper of the rue Coquilliere, the Ferragus of Ida, the lodger in the rue Soly, the Bourignard of Justin, the convict of the police, and the dead man of the day before.
a Mid-Atlantic state; one of the original 13 colonies
From this reading Monsieur de Maulincour was all the more anxious to go to this ball because he knew that Madame Jules would be present.
no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life
From this reading A man presently took the young officer by the arm, and looking up the baron was stupefied to behold the pauper of the rue Coquilliere, the Ferragus of Ida, the lodger in the rue Soly, the Bourignard of Justin, the convict of the police, and the dead man of the day before.
divannounUS /dɪˈvæn/
a long backless sofa (usually with pillows against a wall)
From this reading He entered an empty boudoir where card-tables were placed awaiting players; and sitting down on a divan he gave himself up to the most contradictory thoughts about her.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading He entered an empty boudoir where card-tables were placed awaiting players; and sitting down on a divan he gave himself up to the most contradictory thoughts about her.
make void or empty of contents
From this reading He entered an empty boudoir where card-tables were placed awaiting players; and sitting down on a divan he gave himself up to the most contradictory thoughts about her.
past form of “enter” — to come or go into
From this reading He entered an empty boudoir where card-tables were placed awaiting players; and sitting down on a divan he gave himself up to the most contradictory thoughts about her.
exercisedverbUS /ˈeksərsaɪzd/
past form of “exercise” — put to use
From this reading Auguste passed through the rooms without finding the woman who now exercised so mighty an influence on his fate.
an event (or a course of events) that will inevitably happen in the future
From this reading Auguste passed through the rooms without finding the woman who now exercised so mighty an influence on his fate.
Ferragus
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A man presently took the young officer by the arm, and looking up the baron was stupefied to behold the pauper of the rue Coquilliere, the Ferragus of Ida, the lodger in the rue Soly, the Bourignard of Justin, the convict of the police, and the dead man of the day before.
feteverbUS /feɪt/
have a celebration
From this reading The fete was given by the Prefect of the Seine, in whose salons the two social worlds of Paris met as on neutral ground.
the act of determining the properties of something, usually by research or calculation
From this reading Auguste passed through the rooms without finding the woman who now exercised so mighty an influence on his fate.
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading He entered an empty boudoir where card-tables were placed awaiting players; and sitting down on a divan he gave himself up to the most contradictory thoughts about her.
givenadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪvən/
acknowledged as a supposition
From this reading The fete was given by the Prefect of the Seine, in whose salons the two social worlds of Paris met as on neutral ground.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Monsieur de Maulincour was all the more anxious to go to this ball because he knew that Madame Jules would be present.
the solid part of the earth's surface
From this reading The fete was given by the Prefect of the Seine, in whose salons the two social worlds of Paris met as on neutral ground.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Monsieur de Maulincour was all the more anxious to go to this ball because he knew that Madame Jules would be present.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading He entered an empty boudoir where card-tables were placed awaiting players; and sitting down on a divan he gave himself up to the most contradictory thoughts about her.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading He entered an empty boudoir where card-tables were placed awaiting players; and sitting down on a divan he gave himself up to the most contradictory thoughts about her.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Auguste passed through the rooms without finding the woman who now exercised so mighty an influence on his fate.
IdanounUS /ˈaɪdə/
an agency of the United Nations affiliated with the World Bank
From this reading A man presently took the young officer by the arm, and looking up the baron was stupefied to behold the pauper of the rue Coquilliere, the Ferragus of Ida, the lodger in the rue Soly, the Bourignard of Justin, the convict of the police, and the dead man of the day before.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The fete was given by the Prefect of the Seine, in whose salons the two social worlds of Paris met as on neutral ground.
a power to affect persons or events especially power based on prestige etc
From this reading Auguste passed through the rooms without finding the woman who now exercised so mighty an influence on his fate.
Jules
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Monsieur de Maulincour was all the more anxious to go to this ball because he knew that Madame Jules would be present.
Justin
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A man presently took the young officer by the arm, and looking up the baron was stupefied to behold the pauper of the rue Coquilliere, the Ferragus of Ida, the lodger in the rue Soly, the Bourignard of Justin, the convict of the police, and the dead man of the day before.
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 Monsieur de Maulincour was all the more anxious to go to this ball because he knew that Madame Jules would be present.
lodgernoun
a tenant in someone's house
From this reading A man presently took the young officer by the arm, and looking up the baron was stupefied to behold the pauper of the rue Coquilliere, the Ferragus of Ida, the lodger in the rue Soly, the Bourignard of Justin, the convict of the police, and the dead man of the day before.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading A man presently took the young officer by the arm, and looking up the baron was stupefied to behold the pauper of the rue Coquilliere, the Ferragus of Ida, the lodger in the rue Soly, the Bourignard of Justin, the convict of the police, and the dead man of the day before.
title used for a married Frenchwoman
From this reading Monsieur de Maulincour was all the more anxious to go to this ball because he knew that Madame Jules would be present.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading A man presently took the young officer by the arm, and looking up the baron was stupefied to behold the pauper of the rue Coquilliere, the Ferragus of Ida, the lodger in the rue Soly, the Bourignard of Justin, the convict of the police, and the dead man of the day before.
Maulincour
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Monsieur de Maulincour was all the more anxious to go to this ball because he knew that Madame Jules would be present.
inflected form of “meet” — come together
From this reading The fete was given by the Prefect of the Seine, in whose salons the two social worlds of Paris met as on neutral ground.
having or showing great strength or force or intensity
From this reading Auguste passed through the rooms without finding the woman who now exercised so mighty an influence on his fate.
used as a French courtesy title; equivalent to English “Mr”
From this reading Monsieur de Maulincour was all the more anxious to go to this ball because he knew that Madame Jules would be present.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Monsieur de Maulincour was all the more anxious to go to this ball because he knew that Madame Jules would be present.
used to form the superlative
From this reading He entered an empty boudoir where card-tables were placed awaiting players; and sitting down on a divan he gave himself up to the most contradictory thoughts about her.
neutraladjectiveUS /ˈnuːtrəl/
having no personal preference
From this reading The fete was given by the Prefect of the Seine, in whose salons the two social worlds of Paris met as on neutral ground.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Auguste passed through the rooms without finding the woman who now exercised so mighty an influence on his fate.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The fete was given by the Prefect of the Seine, in whose salons the two social worlds of Paris met as on neutral ground.
any person in the armed services who holds a position of authority or command
From this reading A man presently took the young officer by the arm, and looking up the baron was stupefied to behold the pauper of the rue Coquilliere, the Ferragus of Ida, the lodger in the rue Soly, the Bourignard of Justin, the convict of the police, and the dead man of the day before.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The fete was given by the Prefect of the Seine, in whose salons the two social worlds of Paris met as on neutral ground.
the capital and largest city of France; and international center of culture and commerce
From this reading The fete was given by the Prefect of the Seine, in whose salons the two social worlds of Paris met as on neutral ground.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading Auguste passed through the rooms without finding the woman who now exercised so mighty an influence on his fate.
paupernounUS /ˈpɔːpər/
a person who is very poor
From this reading A man presently took the young officer by the arm, and looking up the baron was stupefied to behold the pauper of the rue Coquilliere, the Ferragus of Ida, the lodger in the rue Soly, the Bourignard of Justin, the convict of the police, and the dead man of the day before.
situated in a particular spot or position
From this reading He entered an empty boudoir where card-tables were placed awaiting players; and sitting down on a divan he gave himself up to the most contradictory thoughts about her.
playersnounUS /ˈpleɪərz/
plural of “player” — a person who participates in or is skilled at some game
From this reading He entered an empty boudoir where card-tables were placed awaiting players; and sitting down on a divan he gave himself up to the most contradictory thoughts about her.
the force of policemen and officers
From this reading A man presently took the young officer by the arm, and looking up the baron was stupefied to behold the pauper of the rue Coquilliere, the Ferragus of Ida, the lodger in the rue Soly, the Bourignard of Justin, the convict of the police, and the dead man of the day before.
PrefectnounUS /ˈpriːfekt/
a chief officer or chief magistrate
From this reading The fete was given by the Prefect of the Seine, in whose salons the two social worlds of Paris met as on neutral ground.
give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading Monsieur de Maulincour was all the more anxious to go to this ball because he knew that Madame Jules would be present.
in the near future
From this reading A man presently took the young officer by the arm, and looking up the baron was stupefied to behold the pauper of the rue Coquilliere, the Ferragus of Ida, the lodger in the rue Soly, the Bourignard of Justin, the convict of the police, and the dead man of the day before.
apartment consisting of a series of connected rooms used as a living unit (as in a hotel)
From this reading Auguste passed through the rooms without finding the woman who now exercised so mighty an influence on his fate.
European strong-scented perennial herb with grey-green bitter-tasting leaves; an irritant similar to poison ivy
From this reading A man presently took the young officer by the arm, and looking up the baron was stupefied to behold the pauper of the rue Coquilliere, the Ferragus of Ida, the lodger in the rue Soly, the Bourignard of Justin, the convict of the police, and the dead man of the day before.
salonsnounUS /səˈlɑːnz/
plural of “salon” — gallery where works of art can be displayed
From this reading The fete was given by the Prefect of the Seine, in whose salons the two social worlds of Paris met as on neutral ground.
SeinenounUS /seɪn/
a French river that flows through the heart of Paris and then northward into the English Channel
From this reading The fete was given by the Prefect of the Seine, in whose salons the two social worlds of Paris met as on neutral ground.
(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)
From this reading He entered an empty boudoir where card-tables were placed awaiting players; and sitting down on a divan he gave himself up to the most contradictory thoughts about her.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Auguste passed through the rooms without finding the woman who now exercised so mighty an influence on his fate.
relating to human society and its members
From this reading The fete was given by the Prefect of the Seine, in whose salons the two social worlds of Paris met as on neutral ground.
Soly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A man presently took the young officer by the arm, and looking up the baron was stupefied to behold the pauper of the rue Coquilliere, the Ferragus of Ida, the lodger in the rue Soly, the Bourignard of Justin, the convict of the police, and the dead man of the day before.
stupefiedadjective
as if struck dumb with astonishment and surprise
From this reading A man presently took the young officer by the arm, and looking up the baron was stupefied to behold the pauper of the rue Coquilliere, the Ferragus of Ida, the lodger in the rue Soly, the Bourignard of Justin, the convict of the police, and the dead man of the day before.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Monsieur de Maulincour was all the more anxious to go to this ball because he knew that Madame Jules would be present.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Monsieur de Maulincour was all the more anxious to go to this ball because he knew that Madame Jules would be present.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Monsieur de Maulincour was all the more anxious to go to this ball because he knew that Madame Jules would be present.
plural of “thought” — the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading He entered an empty boudoir where card-tables were placed awaiting players; and sitting down on a divan he gave himself up to the most contradictory thoughts about her.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading Auguste passed through the rooms without finding the woman who now exercised so mighty an influence on his fate.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Monsieur de Maulincour was all the more anxious to go to this ball because he knew that Madame Jules would be present.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading A man presently took the young officer by the arm, and looking up the baron was stupefied to behold the pauper of the rue Coquilliere, the Ferragus of Ida, the lodger in the rue Soly, the Bourignard of Justin, the convict of the police, and the dead man of the day before.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading The fete was given by the Prefect of the Seine, in whose salons the two social worlds of Paris met as on neutral ground.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading He entered an empty boudoir where card-tables were placed awaiting players; and sitting down on a divan he gave himself up to the most contradictory thoughts about her.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Monsieur de Maulincour was all the more anxious to go to this ball because he knew that Madame Jules would be present.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading He entered an empty boudoir where card-tables were placed awaiting players; and sitting down on a divan he gave himself up to the most contradictory thoughts about her.
in or at the place that
From this reading He entered an empty boudoir where card-tables were placed awaiting players; and sitting down on a divan he gave himself up to the most contradictory thoughts about her.
which person or people
From this reading Auguste passed through the rooms without finding the woman who now exercised so mighty an influence on his fate.
belonging to which person
From this reading The fete was given by the Prefect of the Seine, in whose salons the two social worlds of Paris met as on neutral ground.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading Auguste passed through the rooms without finding the woman who now exercised so mighty an influence on his fate.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading Auguste passed through the rooms without finding the woman who now exercised so mighty an influence on his fate.
worldsnounUS /wɜːrldz/
plural of “world” — everything that exists anywhere
From this reading The fete was given by the Prefect of the Seine, in whose salons the two social worlds of Paris met as on neutral ground.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Monsieur de Maulincour was all the more anxious to go to this ball because he knew that Madame Jules would be present.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading A man presently took the young officer by the arm, and looking up the baron was stupefied to behold the pauper of the rue Coquilliere, the Ferragus of Ida, the lodger in the rue Soly, the Bourignard of Justin, the convict of the police, and the dead man of the day before.
