used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The cottage was one and a half stories in height, and the upper half-story had two windows in front that looked out like a pair of accusing eyes.
accusingadjectiveUS /əˈkjuːzɪŋ/
containing or expressing accusation
From this reading The cottage was one and a half stories in height, and the upper half-story had two windows in front that looked out like a pair of accusing eyes.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading At the top of the mean street on which Margaret's house was situated, and looking down upon its meaner neighbours in much the same way that its mistress looked upon the denizens of the street, stood Miss Prime's cottage.
anglesnounUS /ˈæŋɡəlz/
plural of “angle” — the space between two lines or planes that intersect; the inclination of one line to another; measured in degrees or radians
From this reading It was not on the mean street,--it would have disdained to be,--but sat exactly facing it in prim watchfulness over the unsavoury thoroughfare which ran at right angles.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At the top of the mean street on which Margaret's house was situated, and looking down upon its meaner neighbours in much the same way that its mistress looked upon the denizens of the street, stood Miss Prime's cottage.
bachelor's-buttons
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In summer the front yard was filled with flowers, hollyhocks, bachelor's-buttons, sweet-william, and a dozen other varieties of blooms.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading It was not on the mean street,--it would have disdained to be,--but sat exactly facing it in prim watchfulness over the unsavoury thoroughfare which ran at right angles.
bloomsnounUS /bluːmz/
plural of “bloom” — the organic process of bearing flowers
From this reading In summer the front yard was filled with flowers, hollyhocks, bachelor's-buttons, sweet-william, and a dozen other varieties of blooms.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading It was not on the mean street,--it would have disdained to be,--but sat exactly facing it in prim watchfulness over the unsavoury thoroughfare which ran at right angles.
having or capable of producing colors
From this reading It was painted a dull lead colour.
a small house with a single story
From this reading At the top of the mean street on which Margaret's house was situated, and looking down upon its meaner neighbours in much the same way that its mistress looked upon the denizens of the street, stood Miss Prime's cottage.
denizensnounUS /ˈdenəzənz/
plural of “denizen” — a person who inhabits a particular place
From this reading At the top of the mean street on which Margaret's house was situated, and looking down upon its meaner neighbours in much the same way that its mistress looked upon the denizens of the street, stood Miss Prime's cottage.
disdainedverbUS /dɪsˈdeɪnd/
past form of “disdain” — look down on with disdain
From this reading It was not on the mean street,--it would have disdained to be,--but sat exactly facing it in prim watchfulness over the unsavoury thoroughfare which ran at right angles.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading At the top of the mean street on which Margaret's house was situated, and looking down upon its meaner neighbours in much the same way that its mistress looked upon the denizens of the street, stood Miss Prime's cottage.
the cardinal number that is the sum of eleven and one
From this reading In summer the front yard was filled with flowers, hollyhocks, bachelor's-buttons, sweet-william, and a dozen other varieties of blooms.
lacking in liveliness or animation
From this reading It was painted a dull lead colour.
indicating exactness or preciseness
From this reading It was not on the mean street,--it would have disdained to be,--but sat exactly facing it in prim watchfulness over the unsavoury thoroughfare which ran at right angles.
opinion or judgment
From this reading The cottage was one and a half stories in height, and the upper half-story had two windows in front that looked out like a pair of accusing eyes.
facingnounUS /ˈfeɪsɪŋ/
a lining applied to the edge of a garment for ornamentation or strengthening
From this reading It was not on the mean street,--it would have disdained to be,--but sat exactly facing it in prim watchfulness over the unsavoury thoroughfare which ran at right angles.
(usually followed by “with” or used as a combining form) generously supplied with
From this reading In summer the front yard was filled with flowers, hollyhocks, bachelor's-buttons, sweet-william, and a dozen other varieties of blooms.
plural of “flower” — a plant cultivated for its blooms or blossoms
From this reading In summer the front yard was filled with flowers, hollyhocks, bachelor's-buttons, sweet-william, and a dozen other varieties of blooms.
the side that is forward or prominent
From this reading The cottage was one and a half stories in height, and the upper half-story had two windows in front that looked out like a pair of accusing eyes.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The cottage was one and a half stories in height, and the upper half-story had two windows in front that looked out like a pair of accusing eyes.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading The cottage was one and a half stories in height, and the upper half-story had two windows in front that looked out like a pair of accusing eyes.
half-story
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The cottage was one and a half stories in height, and the upper half-story had two windows in front that looked out like a pair of accusing eyes.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading It was not on the mean street,--it would have disdained to be,--but sat exactly facing it in prim watchfulness over the unsavoury thoroughfare which ran at right angles.
the vertical dimension of extension; distance from the base of something to the top
From this reading The cottage was one and a half stories in height, and the upper half-story had two windows in front that looked out like a pair of accusing eyes.
hollyhocksnounUS /ˈhɑːlihɑːks/
plural of “hollyhock” — any of various plants of the genus Althaea; similar to but having smaller flowers than genus Alcea
From this reading In summer the front yard was filled with flowers, hollyhocks, bachelor's-buttons, sweet-william, and a dozen other varieties of blooms.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading At the top of the mean street on which Margaret's house was situated, and looking down upon its meaner neighbours in much the same way that its mistress looked upon the denizens of the street, stood Miss Prime's cottage.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading At the top of the mean street on which Margaret's house was situated, and looking down upon its meaner neighbours in much the same way that its mistress looked upon the denizens of the street, stood Miss Prime's cottage.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was not on the mean street,--it would have disdained to be,--but sat exactly facing it in prim watchfulness over the unsavoury thoroughfare which ran at right angles.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading At the top of the mean street on which Margaret's house was situated, and looking down upon its meaner neighbours in much the same way that its mistress looked upon the denizens of the street, stood Miss Prime's cottage.
take somebody somewhere
From this reading It was painted a dull lead colour.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading The cottage was one and a half stories in height, and the upper half-story had two windows in front that looked out like a pair of accusing eyes.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading At the top of the mean street on which Margaret's house was situated, and looking down upon its meaner neighbours in much the same way that its mistress looked upon the denizens of the street, stood Miss Prime's cottage.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading At the top of the mean street on which Margaret's house was situated, and looking down upon its meaner neighbours in much the same way that its mistress looked upon the denizens of the street, stood Miss Prime's cottage.
Margaret's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At the top of the mean street on which Margaret's house was situated, and looking down upon its meaner neighbours in much the same way that its mistress looked upon the denizens of the street, stood Miss Prime's cottage.
mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading At the top of the mean street on which Margaret's house was situated, and looking down upon its meaner neighbours in much the same way that its mistress looked upon the denizens of the street, stood Miss Prime's cottage.
meaneradjectiveUS /ˈmiːnər/
comparative of “mean” — approximating the statistical norm or average or expected value
From this reading At the top of the mean street on which Margaret's house was situated, and looking down upon its meaner neighbours in much the same way that its mistress looked upon the denizens of the street, stood Miss Prime's cottage.
fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind
From this reading At the top of the mean street on which Margaret's house was situated, and looking down upon its meaner neighbours in much the same way that its mistress looked upon the denizens of the street, stood Miss Prime's cottage.
an adulterous woman; a woman who has an ongoing extramarital sexual relationship with a man
From this reading At the top of the mean street on which Margaret's house was situated, and looking down upon its meaner neighbours in much the same way that its mistress looked upon the denizens of the street, stood Miss Prime's cottage.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading At the top of the mean street on which Margaret's house was situated, and looking down upon its meaner neighbours in much the same way that its mistress looked upon the denizens of the street, stood Miss Prime's cottage.
neighboursnounUS /ˈneɪbərz/
plural of “neighbour” — a person who lives (or is located) near another
From this reading At the top of the mean street on which Margaret's house was situated, and looking down upon its meaner neighbours in much the same way that its mistress looked upon the denizens of the street, stood Miss Prime's cottage.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading It was not on the mean street,--it would have disdained to be,--but sat exactly facing it in prim watchfulness over the unsavoury thoroughfare which ran at right angles.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading At the top of the mean street on which Margaret's house was situated, and looking down upon its meaner neighbours in much the same way that its mistress looked upon the denizens of the street, stood Miss Prime's cottage.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading At the top of the mean street on which Margaret's house was situated, and looking down upon its meaner neighbours in much the same way that its mistress looked upon the denizens of the street, stood Miss Prime's cottage.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading The cottage was one and a half stories in height, and the upper half-story had two windows in front that looked out like a pair of accusing eyes.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading In summer the front yard was filled with flowers, hollyhocks, bachelor's-buttons, sweet-william, and a dozen other varieties of blooms.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading The cottage was one and a half stories in height, and the upper half-story had two windows in front that looked out like a pair of accusing eyes.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading It was not on the mean street,--it would have disdained to be,--but sat exactly facing it in prim watchfulness over the unsavoury thoroughfare which ran at right angles.
coated with paint
From this reading It was painted a dull lead colour.
a set of two similar things considered as a unit
From this reading The cottage was one and a half stories in height, and the upper half-story had two windows in front that looked out like a pair of accusing eyes.
primverbUS /prɪm/
assume a prim appearance
From this reading It was not on the mean street,--it would have disdained to be,--but sat exactly facing it in prim watchfulness over the unsavoury thoroughfare which ran at right angles.
Prime'snounUS /praɪmz/
possessive form of “prime” — a natural number that has exactly two distinct natural number divisors: 1 and itself
From this reading At the top of the mean street on which Margaret's house was situated, and looking down upon its meaner neighbours in much the same way that its mistress looked upon the denizens of the street, stood Miss Prime's cottage.
inflected form of “run” — move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading It was not on the mean street,--it would have disdained to be,--but sat exactly facing it in prim watchfulness over the unsavoury thoroughfare which ran at right angles.
precisely, exactly
From this reading It was not on the mean street,--it would have disdained to be,--but sat exactly facing it in prim watchfulness over the unsavoury thoroughfare which ran at right angles.
Identical; not different.
From this reading At the top of the mean street on which Margaret's house was situated, and looking down upon its meaner neighbours in much the same way that its mistress looked upon the denizens of the street, stood Miss Prime's cottage.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading It was not on the mean street,--it would have disdained to be,--but sat exactly facing it in prim watchfulness over the unsavoury thoroughfare which ran at right angles.
situatedadjectiveUS /ˈsɪtʃuːeɪtɪd/
situated in a particular spot or position
From this reading At the top of the mean street on which Margaret's house was situated, and looking down upon its meaner neighbours in much the same way that its mistress looked upon the denizens of the street, stood Miss Prime's cottage.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading At the top of the mean street on which Margaret's house was situated, and looking down upon its meaner neighbours in much the same way that its mistress looked upon the denizens of the street, stood Miss Prime's cottage.
plural of “story” — a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading The cottage was one and a half stories in height, and the upper half-story had two windows in front that looked out like a pair of accusing eyes.
a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings
From this reading At the top of the mean street on which Margaret's house was situated, and looking down upon its meaner neighbours in much the same way that its mistress looked upon the denizens of the street, stood Miss Prime's cottage.
the warmest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the summer solstice to the autumnal equinox
From this reading In summer the front yard was filled with flowers, hollyhocks, bachelor's-buttons, sweet-william, and a dozen other varieties of blooms.
sweet-william
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In summer the front yard was filled with flowers, hollyhocks, bachelor's-buttons, sweet-william, and a dozen other varieties of blooms.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading At the top of the mean street on which Margaret's house was situated, and looking down upon its meaner neighbours in much the same way that its mistress looked upon the denizens of the street, stood Miss Prime's cottage.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading At the top of the mean street on which Margaret's house was situated, and looking down upon its meaner neighbours in much the same way that its mistress looked upon the denizens of the street, stood Miss Prime's cottage.
thoroughfarenounUS /ˈθɜːroʊfer/
a public road from one place to another
From this reading It was not on the mean street,--it would have disdained to be,--but sat exactly facing it in prim watchfulness over the unsavoury thoroughfare which ran at right angles.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It was not on the mean street,--it would have disdained to be,--but sat exactly facing it in prim watchfulness over the unsavoury thoroughfare which ran at right angles.
the upper part of anything
From this reading At the top of the mean street on which Margaret's house was situated, and looking down upon its meaner neighbours in much the same way that its mistress looked upon the denizens of the street, stood Miss Prime's cottage.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading The cottage was one and a half stories in height, and the upper half-story had two windows in front that looked out like a pair of accusing eyes.
unsavouryadjective
morally offensive
From this reading It was not on the mean street,--it would have disdained to be,--but sat exactly facing it in prim watchfulness over the unsavoury thoroughfare which ran at right angles.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading At the top of the mean street on which Margaret's house was situated, and looking down upon its meaner neighbours in much the same way that its mistress looked upon the denizens of the street, stood Miss Prime's cottage.
the topmost one of two
From this reading The cottage was one and a half stories in height, and the upper half-story had two windows in front that looked out like a pair of accusing eyes.
varietiesnounUS /vərˈaɪətiz/
plural of “variety” — a collection containing a variety of sorts of things
From this reading In summer the front yard was filled with flowers, hollyhocks, bachelor's-buttons, sweet-william, and a dozen other varieties of blooms.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading At the top of the mean street on which Margaret's house was situated, and looking down upon its meaner neighbours in much the same way that its mistress looked upon the denizens of the street, stood Miss Prime's cottage.
watchfulnessnoun
the process of paying close and continuous attention
From this reading It was not on the mean street,--it would have disdained to be,--but sat exactly facing it in prim watchfulness over the unsavoury thoroughfare which ran at right angles.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading At the top of the mean street on which Margaret's house was situated, and looking down upon its meaner neighbours in much the same way that its mistress looked upon the denizens of the street, stood Miss Prime's cottage.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading At the top of the mean street on which Margaret's house was situated, and looking down upon its meaner neighbours in much the same way that its mistress looked upon the denizens of the street, stood Miss Prime's cottage.
(trademark) an operating system with a graphical user interface
From this reading The cottage was one and a half stories in height, and the upper half-story had two windows in front that looked out like a pair of accusing eyes.
in the company of; together with
From this reading In summer the front yard was filled with flowers, hollyhocks, bachelor's-buttons, sweet-william, and a dozen other varieties of blooms.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading It was not on the mean street,--it would have disdained to be,--but sat exactly facing it in prim watchfulness over the unsavoury thoroughfare which ran at right angles.
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 In summer the front yard was filled with flowers, hollyhocks, bachelor's-buttons, sweet-william, and a dozen other varieties of blooms.
