used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading She heard the plashing of the fountain outside, saw she was in a strange room, and gradually recalled all that had occurred on the previous day.
take a risk in the hope of a favorable outcome
From this reading Mary slept well after her long day of adventure and did not wake until the sun was high.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading Mary slept well after her long day of adventure and did not wake until the sun was high.
(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 She heard the plashing of the fountain outside, saw she was in a strange room, and gradually recalled all that had occurred on the previous day.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Mary slept well after her long day of adventure and did not wake until the sun was high.
a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it
From this reading The laundresses had poured into the Temple, and were pretending to dust their master's chambers and performing the rest of their desultory duties, prior to the bustle of business commencing in those "dusty purlieus of the law."
bustlenounUS /ˈbʌsəl/
a rapid active commotion
From this reading The laundresses had poured into the Temple, and were pretending to dust their master's chambers and performing the rest of their desultory duties, prior to the bustle of business commencing in those "dusty purlieus of the law."
chambersnounUS /ˈtʃeɪmbərz/
English architect (1723-1796)
From this reading The laundresses had poured into the Temple, and were pretending to dust their master's chambers and performing the rest of their desultory duties, prior to the bustle of business commencing in those "dusty purlieus of the law."
CHARYBDISnoun
(Greek mythology) a ship-devouring whirlpool lying on the other side of a narrow strait from Scylla
From this reading FROM SCYLLA TO CHARYBDIS.
commencingverbUS /kəˈmensɪŋ/
-ing form of “commence” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading The laundresses had poured into the Temple, and were pretending to dust their master's chambers and performing the rest of their desultory duties, prior to the bustle of business commencing in those "dusty purlieus of the law."
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading Mary slept well after her long day of adventure and did not wake until the sun was high.
desultoryadjectiveUS /ˈdesəltɔːri/
marked by lack of definite plan or regularity or purpose; jumping from one thing to another
From this reading The laundresses had poured into the Temple, and were pretending to dust their master's chambers and performing the rest of their desultory duties, prior to the bustle of business commencing in those "dusty purlieus of the law."
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading Mary slept well after her long day of adventure and did not wake until the sun was high.
remove the dust from
From this reading The laundresses had poured into the Temple, and were pretending to dust their master's chambers and performing the rest of their desultory duties, prior to the bustle of business commencing in those "dusty purlieus of the law."
dustyadjectiveUS /ˈdʌsti/
covered with a layer of dust
From this reading The laundresses had poured into the Temple, and were pretending to dust their master's chambers and performing the rest of their desultory duties, prior to the bustle of business commencing in those "dusty purlieus of the law."
plural of “duty” — the social force that binds you to the courses of action demanded by that force
From this reading The laundresses had poured into the Temple, and were pretending to dust their master's chambers and performing the rest of their desultory duties, prior to the bustle of business commencing in those "dusty purlieus of the law."
fountainnounUS /ˈfaʊntən/
a structure from which an artificially produced jet of water arises
From this reading She heard the plashing of the fountain outside, saw she was in a strange room, and gradually recalled all that had occurred on the previous day.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading FROM SCYLLA TO CHARYBDIS.
in a gradual manner
From this reading She heard the plashing of the fountain outside, saw she was in a strange room, and gradually recalled all that had occurred on the previous day.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The laundresses had poured into the Temple, and were pretending to dust their master's chambers and performing the rest of their desultory duties, prior to the bustle of business commencing in those "dusty purlieus of the law."
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading She heard the plashing of the fountain outside, saw she was in a strange room, and gradually recalled all that had occurred on the previous day.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Mary slept well after her long day of adventure and did not wake until the sun was high.
greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading Mary slept well after her long day of adventure and did not wake until the sun was high.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The laundresses had poured into the Temple, and were pretending to dust their master's chambers and performing the rest of their desultory duties, prior to the bustle of business commencing in those "dusty purlieus of the law."
in truth (often tends to intensify)
From this reading It was indeed nearly nine o'clock when Mary woke.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading The laundresses had poured into the Temple, and were pretending to dust their master's chambers and performing the rest of their desultory duties, prior to the bustle of business commencing in those "dusty purlieus of the law."
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was indeed nearly nine o'clock when Mary woke.
laundresses
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The laundresses had poured into the Temple, and were pretending to dust their master's chambers and performing the rest of their desultory duties, prior to the bustle of business commencing in those "dusty purlieus of the law."
the collection of rules imposed by authority
From this reading The laundresses had poured into the Temple, and were pretending to dust their master's chambers and performing the rest of their desultory duties, prior to the bustle of business commencing in those "dusty purlieus of the law."
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading Mary slept well after her long day of adventure and did not wake until the sun was high.
the mother of Jesus; Christians refer to her as the Virgin Mary; she is especially honored by Roman Catholics
From this reading Mary slept well after her long day of adventure and did not wake until the sun was high.
master'snounUS /ˈmæstərz/
possessive form of “master” — an artist of consummate skill
From this reading The laundresses had poured into the Temple, and were pretending to dust their master's chambers and performing the rest of their desultory duties, prior to the bustle of business commencing in those "dusty purlieus of the law."
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading It was indeed nearly nine o'clock when Mary woke.
the cardinal number that is the sum of eight and one
From this reading It was indeed nearly nine o'clock when Mary woke.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Mary slept well after her long day of adventure and did not wake until the sun was high.
o'clockadverbUS /əˈklɑːk/
according to the clock
From this reading It was indeed nearly nine o'clock when Mary woke.
inflected form of “occur” — come to pass
From this reading She heard the plashing of the fountain outside, saw she was in a strange room, and gradually recalled all that had occurred on the previous day.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Mary slept well after her long day of adventure and did not wake until the sun was high.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading She heard the plashing of the fountain outside, saw she was in a strange room, and gradually recalled all that had occurred on the previous day.
relating to or being on or near the outer side or limit
From this reading She heard the plashing of the fountain outside, saw she was in a strange room, and gradually recalled all that had occurred on the previous day.
performingnounUS /pərˈfɔːrmɪŋ/
the performance of a part or role in a drama
From this reading The laundresses had poured into the Temple, and were pretending to dust their master's chambers and performing the rest of their desultory duties, prior to the bustle of business commencing in those "dusty purlieus of the law."
plashing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She heard the plashing of the fountain outside, saw she was in a strange room, and gradually recalled all that had occurred on the previous day.
past form of “pour” — cause to run
From this reading The laundresses had poured into the Temple, and were pretending to dust their master's chambers and performing the rest of their desultory duties, prior to the bustle of business commencing in those "dusty purlieus of the law."
pretendingnounUS /priˈtendɪŋ/
the act of giving a false appearance
From this reading The laundresses had poured into the Temple, and were pretending to dust their master's chambers and performing the rest of their desultory duties, prior to the bustle of business commencing in those "dusty purlieus of the law."
just preceding something else in time or order
From this reading She heard the plashing of the fountain outside, saw she was in a strange room, and gradually recalled all that had occurred on the previous day.
prioradjectiveUS /ˈpraɪər/
earlier in time
From this reading The laundresses had poured into the Temple, and were pretending to dust their master's chambers and performing the rest of their desultory duties, prior to the bustle of business commencing in those "dusty purlieus of the law."
purlieus
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The laundresses had poured into the Temple, and were pretending to dust their master's chambers and performing the rest of their desultory duties, prior to the bustle of business commencing in those "dusty purlieus of the law."
past form of “recall” — recall knowledge from memory; have a recollection
From this reading She heard the plashing of the fountain outside, saw she was in a strange room, and gradually recalled all that had occurred on the previous day.
not move; be in a resting position
From this reading The laundresses had poured into the Temple, and were pretending to dust their master's chambers and performing the rest of their desultory duties, prior to the bustle of business commencing in those "dusty purlieus of the law."
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading She heard the plashing of the fountain outside, saw she was in a strange room, and gradually recalled all that had occurred on the previous day.
cut with a saw
From this reading She heard the plashing of the fountain outside, saw she was in a strange room, and gradually recalled all that had occurred on the previous day.
SCYLLAnounUS /ˈsɪlə/
(Greek mythology) a sea nymph transformed into a sea monster who lived on one side of a narrow strait; drowned and devoured sailors who tried to escape Charybdis (a whirlpool) on the other side of the strait
From this reading FROM SCYLLA TO CHARYBDIS.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She heard the plashing of the fountain outside, saw she was in a strange room, and gradually recalled all that had occurred on the previous day.
inflected form of “sleep” — be asleep
From this reading Mary slept well after her long day of adventure and did not wake until the sun was high.
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading She heard the plashing of the fountain outside, saw she was in a strange room, and gradually recalled all that had occurred on the previous day.
the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system
From this reading Mary slept well after her long day of adventure and did not wake until the sun was high.
place of worship consisting of an edifice for the worship of a deity
From this reading The laundresses had poured into the Temple, and were pretending to dust their master's chambers and performing the rest of their desultory duties, prior to the bustle of business commencing in those "dusty purlieus of the law."
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading She heard the plashing of the fountain outside, saw she was in a strange room, and gradually recalled all that had occurred on the previous day.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Mary slept well after her long day of adventure and did not wake until the sun was high.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading The laundresses had poured into the Temple, and were pretending to dust their master's chambers and performing the rest of their desultory duties, prior to the bustle of business commencing in those "dusty purlieus of the law."
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading The laundresses had poured into the Temple, and were pretending to dust their master's chambers and performing the rest of their desultory duties, prior to the bustle of business commencing in those "dusty purlieus of the law."
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading FROM SCYLLA TO CHARYBDIS.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading Mary slept well after her long day of adventure and did not wake until the sun was high.
be awake, be alert, be there
From this reading Mary slept well after her long day of adventure and did not wake until the sun was high.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Mary slept well after her long day of adventure and did not wake until the sun was high.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading Mary slept well after her long day of adventure and did not wake until the sun was high.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The laundresses had poured into the Temple, and were pretending to dust their master's chambers and performing the rest of their desultory duties, prior to the bustle of business commencing in those "dusty purlieus of the law."
at the time that
From this reading It was indeed nearly nine o'clock when Mary woke.
wokeverbUS /woʊk/
inflected form of “wake” — be awake, be alert, be there
From this reading It was indeed nearly nine o'clock when Mary woke.
