used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading An infant, a waif of destiny, left on her doorsteps at dead of night!
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading Mrs. Wilson surveyed the group for an instant with the air of a photographer in search of a correct setting.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading An infant, a waif of destiny, left on her doorsteps at dead of night!
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading There was only one thing to do, to see the baby, and to talk to the mother, and for this purpose Mrs. Wilson had both brought before her in the ante-room where she had received Constance Stuart.
ante-room
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was only one thing to do, to see the baby, and to talk to the mother, and for this purpose Mrs. Wilson had both brought before her in the ante-room where she had received Constance Stuart.
any person at all
From this reading Then, with a smile of divination, she said, authoritatively, "Now, Mary, give the child to its mother, and when I need anyone, I will ring.
apprehendedadjectiveUS /ˌæprɪˈhendɪd/
fully understood or grasped
From this reading Rumor flies fast, and by this time a burly, belted policeman had arrived on the scene and stood towering in the background behind the quartette of servants, the butler, the second-man, who had apprehended the woman, a housemaid who had taken the custody of the child, and Mrs. Wilson's own maid.
past form of “arrive” — reach a destination; arrive by movement or progress
From this reading Rumor flies fast, and by this time a burly, belted policeman had arrived on the scene and stood towering in the background behind the quartette of servants, the butler, the second-man, who had apprehended the woman, a housemaid who had taken the custody of the child, and Mrs. Wilson's own maid.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading An infant, a waif of destiny, left on her doorsteps at dead of night!
authoritativelyadverbUS /əˌθɔːrəˈteɪtɪvli/
in an authoritative and magisterial manner
From this reading Then, with a smile of divination, she said, authoritatively, "Now, Mary, give the child to its mother, and when I need anyone, I will ring.
a very young child (birth to 1 year) who has not yet begun to walk or talk
From this reading There was only one thing to do, to see the baby, and to talk to the mother, and for this purpose Mrs. Wilson had both brought before her in the ante-room where she had received Constance Stuart.
backgroundnounUS /ˈbækɡraʊnd/
a person's social heritage: previous experience or training
From this reading Rumor flies fast, and by this time a burly, belted policeman had arrived on the scene and stood towering in the background behind the quartette of servants, the butler, the second-man, who had apprehended the woman, a housemaid who had taken the custody of the child, and Mrs. Wilson's own maid.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading There was only one thing to do, to see the baby, and to talk to the mother, and for this purpose Mrs. Wilson had both brought before her in the ante-room where she had received Constance Stuart.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading Rumor flies fast, and by this time a burly, belted policeman had arrived on the scene and stood towering in the background behind the quartette of servants, the butler, the second-man, who had apprehended the woman, a housemaid who had taken the custody of the child, and Mrs. Wilson's own maid.
beltedadjectiveUS /ˈbeltəd/
having or provided with a belt
From this reading Rumor flies fast, and by this time a burly, belted policeman had arrived on the scene and stood towering in the background behind the quartette of servants, the butler, the second-man, who had apprehended the woman, a housemaid who had taken the custody of the child, and Mrs. Wilson's own maid.
the two together, not just one
From this reading There was only one thing to do, to see the baby, and to talk to the mother, and for this purpose Mrs. Wilson had both brought before her in the ante-room where she had received Constance Stuart.
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading There was only one thing to do, to see the baby, and to talk to the mother, and for this purpose Mrs. Wilson had both brought before her in the ante-room where she had received Constance Stuart.
burlyadjectiveUS /ˈbɜːrli/
muscular and heavily built
From this reading Rumor flies fast, and by this time a burly, belted policeman had arrived on the scene and stood towering in the background behind the quartette of servants, the butler, the second-man, who had apprehended the woman, a housemaid who had taken the custody of the child, and Mrs. Wilson's own maid.
butlernounUS /ˈbʌtlər/
a manservant (usually the head servant of a household) who has charge of wines and the table
From this reading Rumor flies fast, and by this time a burly, belted policeman had arrived on the scene and stood towering in the background behind the quartette of servants, the butler, the second-man, who had apprehended the woman, a housemaid who had taken the custody of the child, and Mrs. Wilson's own maid.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Rumor flies fast, and by this time a burly, belted policeman had arrived on the scene and stood towering in the background behind the quartette of servants, the butler, the second-man, who had apprehended the woman, a housemaid who had taken the custody of the child, and Mrs. Wilson's own maid.
a young person of either sex
From this reading Rumor flies fast, and by this time a burly, belted policeman had arrived on the scene and stood towering in the background behind the quartette of servants, the butler, the second-man, who had apprehended the woman, a housemaid who had taken the custody of the child, and Mrs. Wilson's own maid.
ConstancenounUS /ˈkɑːnstəns/
a lake in southeastern Germany on the northern side of the Swiss Alps; forms part of the Rhine River
From this reading There was only one thing to do, to see the baby, and to talk to the mother, and for this purpose Mrs. Wilson had both brought before her in the ante-room where she had received Constance Stuart.
make right or correct
From this reading Mrs. Wilson surveyed the group for an instant with the air of a photographer in search of a correct setting.
custodynounUS /ˈkʌstədi/
a state of being confined (usually for a short time)
From this reading Rumor flies fast, and by this time a burly, belted policeman had arrived on the scene and stood towering in the background behind the quartette of servants, the butler, the second-man, who had apprehended the woman, a housemaid who had taken the custody of the child, and Mrs. Wilson's own maid.
no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life
From this reading An infant, a waif of destiny, left on her doorsteps at dead of night!
destinynounUS /ˈdestəni/
an event (or a course of events) that will inevitably happen in the future
From this reading An infant, a waif of destiny, left on her doorsteps at dead of night!
divinationnounUS /ˌdɪvəˈneɪʃən/
successful conjecture by unusual insight or good luck
From this reading Then, with a smile of divination, she said, authoritatively, "Now, Mary, give the child to its mother, and when I need anyone, I will ring.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading There was only one thing to do, to see the baby, and to talk to the mother, and for this purpose Mrs. Wilson had both brought before her in the ante-room where she had received Constance Stuart.
doorstepsnounUS /ˈdɔːrsteps/
plural of “doorstep” — the sill of a door; a horizontal piece of wood or stone that forms the bottom of a doorway and offers support when passing through a doorway
From this reading An infant, a waif of destiny, left on her doorsteps at dead of night!
quickly or rapidly (often used as a combining form)
From this reading Rumor flies fast, and by this time a burly, belted policeman had arrived on the scene and stood towering in the background behind the quartette of servants, the butler, the second-man, who had apprehended the woman, a housemaid who had taken the custody of the child, and Mrs. Wilson's own maid.
fliesnounUS /flaɪz/
(theater) the space over the stage (out of view of the audience) used to store scenery (drop curtains)
From this reading Rumor flies fast, and by this time a burly, belted policeman had arrived on the scene and stood towering in the background behind the quartette of servants, the butler, the second-man, who had apprehended the woman, a housemaid who had taken the custody of the child, and Mrs. Wilson's own maid.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading There was only one thing to do, to see the baby, and to talk to the mother, and for this purpose Mrs. Wilson had both brought before her in the ante-room where she had received Constance Stuart.
cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading Then, with a smile of divination, she said, authoritatively, "Now, Mary, give the child to its mother, and when I need anyone, I will ring.
any number of entities (members) considered as a unit
From this reading Mrs. Wilson surveyed the group for an instant with the air of a photographer in search of a correct setting.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading There was only one thing to do, to see the baby, and to talk to the mother, and for this purpose Mrs. Wilson had both brought before her in the ante-room where she had received Constance Stuart.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading An infant, a waif of destiny, left on her doorsteps at dead of night!
housemaidnoun
a female domestic
From this reading Rumor flies fast, and by this time a burly, belted policeman had arrived on the scene and stood towering in the background behind the quartette of servants, the butler, the second-man, who had apprehended the woman, a housemaid who had taken the custody of the child, and Mrs. Wilson's own maid.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Then, with a smile of divination, she said, authoritatively, "Now, Mary, give the child to its mother, and when I need anyone, I will ring.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading There was only one thing to do, to see the baby, and to talk to the mother, and for this purpose Mrs. Wilson had both brought before her in the ante-room where she had received Constance Stuart.
infantnounUS /ˈɪnfənt/
a very young child (birth to 1 year) who has not yet begun to walk or talk
From this reading An infant, a waif of destiny, left on her doorsteps at dead of night!
a very short time (as the time it takes the eye to blink or the heart to beat)
From this reading Mrs. Wilson surveyed the group for an instant with the air of a photographer in search of a correct setting.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading Then, with a smile of divination, she said, authoritatively, "Now, Mary, give the child to its mother, and when I need anyone, I will ring.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading An infant, a waif of destiny, left on her doorsteps at dead of night!
a female domestic
From this reading Rumor flies fast, and by this time a burly, belted policeman had arrived on the scene and stood towering in the background behind the quartette of servants, the butler, the second-man, who had apprehended the woman, a housemaid who had taken the custody of the child, and Mrs. Wilson's own maid.
the mother of Jesus; Christians refer to her as the Virgin Mary; she is especially honored by Roman Catholics
From this reading Then, with a smile of divination, she said, authoritatively, "Now, Mary, give the child to its mother, and when I need anyone, I will ring.
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading There was only one thing to do, to see the baby, and to talk to the mother, and for this purpose Mrs. Wilson had both brought before her in the ante-room where she had received Constance Stuart.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading There was only one thing to do, to see the baby, and to talk to the mother, and for this purpose Mrs. Wilson had both brought before her in the ante-room where she had received Constance Stuart.
a condition requiring relief
From this reading Then, with a smile of divination, she said, authoritatively, "Now, Mary, give the child to its mother, and when I need anyone, I will ring.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading An infant, a waif of destiny, left on her doorsteps at dead of night!
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Then, with a smile of divination, she said, authoritatively, "Now, Mary, give the child to its mother, and when I need anyone, I will ring.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading An infant, a waif of destiny, left on her doorsteps at dead of night!
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading An infant, a waif of destiny, left on her doorsteps at dead of night!
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading There was only one thing to do, to see the baby, and to talk to the mother, and for this purpose Mrs. Wilson had both brought before her in the ante-room where she had received Constance Stuart.
and nothing more
From this reading There was only one thing to do, to see the baby, and to talk to the mother, and for this purpose Mrs. Wilson had both brought before her in the ante-room where she had received Constance Stuart.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading Rumor flies fast, and by this time a burly, belted policeman had arrived on the scene and stood towering in the background behind the quartette of servants, the butler, the second-man, who had apprehended the woman, a housemaid who had taken the custody of the child, and Mrs. Wilson's own maid.
photographernounUS /fəˈtɑːɡrəfər/
someone who takes photographs professionally
From this reading Mrs. Wilson surveyed the group for an instant with the air of a photographer in search of a correct setting.
policemannounUS /pəˈliːsmən/
a member of a police force
From this reading Rumor flies fast, and by this time a burly, belted policeman had arrived on the scene and stood towering in the background behind the quartette of servants, the butler, the second-man, who had apprehended the woman, a housemaid who had taken the custody of the child, and Mrs. Wilson's own maid.
an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions
From this reading There was only one thing to do, to see the baby, and to talk to the mother, and for this purpose Mrs. Wilson had both brought before her in the ante-room where she had received Constance Stuart.
quartettenoun
four performers or singers who perform together
From this reading Rumor flies fast, and by this time a burly, belted policeman had arrived on the scene and stood towering in the background behind the quartette of servants, the butler, the second-man, who had apprehended the woman, a housemaid who had taken the custody of the child, and Mrs. Wilson's own maid.
conforming to the established language usage of educated native speakers
From this reading There was only one thing to do, to see the baby, and to talk to the mother, and for this purpose Mrs. Wilson had both brought before her in the ante-room where she had received Constance Stuart.
sound loudly and sonorously
From this reading Then, with a smile of divination, she said, authoritatively, "Now, Mary, give the child to its mother, and when I need anyone, I will ring.
RumornounUS /ˈruːmər/
gossip (usually a mixture of truth and untruth) passed around by word of mouth
From this reading Rumor flies fast, and by this time a burly, belted policeman had arrived on the scene and stood towering in the background behind the quartette of servants, the butler, the second-man, who had apprehended the woman, a housemaid who had taken the custody of the child, and Mrs. Wilson's own maid.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading Then, with a smile of divination, she said, authoritatively, "Now, Mary, give the child to its mother, and when I need anyone, I will ring.
the place where some action occurs
From this reading Rumor flies fast, and by this time a burly, belted policeman had arrived on the scene and stood towering in the background behind the quartette of servants, the butler, the second-man, who had apprehended the woman, a housemaid who had taken the custody of the child, and Mrs. Wilson's own maid.
try to locate or discover, or try to establish the existence of
From this reading Mrs. Wilson surveyed the group for an instant with the air of a photographer in search of a correct setting.
second-man
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Rumor flies fast, and by this time a burly, belted policeman had arrived on the scene and stood towering in the background behind the quartette of servants, the butler, the second-man, who had apprehended the woman, a housemaid who had taken the custody of the child, and Mrs. Wilson's own maid.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading There was only one thing to do, to see the baby, and to talk to the mother, and for this purpose Mrs. Wilson had both brought before her in the ante-room where she had received Constance Stuart.
plural of “servant” — a person working in the service of another (especially in the household)
From this reading Rumor flies fast, and by this time a burly, belted policeman had arrived on the scene and stood towering in the background behind the quartette of servants, the butler, the second-man, who had apprehended the woman, a housemaid who had taken the custody of the child, and Mrs. Wilson's own maid.
the context and environment in which something is set
From this reading Mrs. Wilson surveyed the group for an instant with the air of a photographer in search of a correct setting.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading There was only one thing to do, to see the baby, and to talk to the mother, and for this purpose Mrs. Wilson had both brought before her in the ante-room where she had received Constance Stuart.
change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure
From this reading Then, with a smile of divination, she said, authoritatively, "Now, Mary, give the child to its mother, and when I need anyone, I will ring.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading Rumor flies fast, and by this time a burly, belted policeman had arrived on the scene and stood towering in the background behind the quartette of servants, the butler, the second-man, who had apprehended the woman, a housemaid who had taken the custody of the child, and Mrs. Wilson's own maid.
StuartnounUS /ˈstuːərt/
United States painter best known for his portraits of George Washington (1755-1828)
From this reading There was only one thing to do, to see the baby, and to talk to the mother, and for this purpose Mrs. Wilson had both brought before her in the ante-room where she had received Constance Stuart.
surveyedverbUS /sərˈveɪd/
past form of “survey” — consider in a comprehensive way
From this reading Mrs. Wilson surveyed the group for an instant with the air of a photographer in search of a correct setting.
takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading Rumor flies fast, and by this time a burly, belted policeman had arrived on the scene and stood towering in the background behind the quartette of servants, the butler, the second-man, who had apprehended the woman, a housemaid who had taken the custody of the child, and Mrs. Wilson's own maid.
exchange thoughts; talk with
From this reading There was only one thing to do, to see the baby, and to talk to the mother, and for this purpose Mrs. Wilson had both brought before her in the ante-room where she had received Constance Stuart.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading There was only one thing to do, to see the baby, and to talk to the mother, and for this purpose Mrs. Wilson had both brought before her in the ante-room where she had received Constance Stuart.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then, with a smile of divination, she said, authoritatively, "Now, Mary, give the child to its mother, and when I need anyone, I will ring.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was only one thing to do, to see the baby, and to talk to the mother, and for this purpose Mrs. Wilson had both brought before her in the ante-room where she had received Constance Stuart.
a special situation
From this reading There was only one thing to do, to see the baby, and to talk to the mother, and for this purpose Mrs. Wilson had both brought before her in the ante-room where she had received Constance Stuart.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading There was only one thing to do, to see the baby, and to talk to the mother, and for this purpose Mrs. Wilson had both brought before her in the ante-room where she had received Constance Stuart.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading Rumor flies fast, and by this time a burly, belted policeman had arrived on the scene and stood towering in the background behind the quartette of servants, the butler, the second-man, who had apprehended the woman, a housemaid who had taken the custody of the child, and Mrs. Wilson's own maid.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading There was only one thing to do, to see the baby, and to talk to the mother, and for this purpose Mrs. Wilson had both brought before her in the ante-room where she had received Constance Stuart.
toweringadjectiveUS /ˈtaʊərɪŋ/
of imposing height; especially standing out above others
From this reading Rumor flies fast, and by this time a burly, belted policeman had arrived on the scene and stood towering in the background behind the quartette of servants, the butler, the second-man, who had apprehended the woman, a housemaid who had taken the custody of the child, and Mrs. Wilson's own maid.
waifnounUS /weɪf/
a homeless child especially one forsaken or orphaned
From this reading An infant, a waif of destiny, left on her doorsteps at dead of night!
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There was only one thing to do, to see the baby, and to talk to the mother, and for this purpose Mrs. Wilson had both brought before her in the ante-room where she had received Constance Stuart.
at the time that
From this reading Then, with a smile of divination, she said, authoritatively, "Now, Mary, give the child to its mother, and when I need anyone, I will ring.
in or at the place that
From this reading There was only one thing to do, to see the baby, and to talk to the mother, and for this purpose Mrs. Wilson had both brought before her in the ante-room where she had received Constance Stuart.
which person or people
From this reading Rumor flies fast, and by this time a burly, belted policeman had arrived on the scene and stood towering in the background behind the quartette of servants, the butler, the second-man, who had apprehended the woman, a housemaid who had taken the custody of the child, and Mrs. Wilson's own maid.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading Then, with a smile of divination, she said, authoritatively, "Now, Mary, give the child to its mother, and when I need anyone, I will ring.
WilsonnounUS /ˈwɪlsən/
author of the first novel by an African American that was published in the United States (1808-1870)
From this reading There was only one thing to do, to see the baby, and to talk to the mother, and for this purpose Mrs. Wilson had both brought before her in the ante-room where she had received Constance Stuart.
Wilson'snounUS /ˈwɪlsənz/
possessive form of “wilson” — author of the first novel by an African American that was published in the United States (1808-1870)
From this reading Rumor flies fast, and by this time a burly, belted policeman had arrived on the scene and stood towering in the background behind the quartette of servants, the butler, the second-man, who had apprehended the woman, a housemaid who had taken the custody of the child, and Mrs. Wilson's own maid.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Mrs. Wilson surveyed the group for an instant with the air of a photographer in search of a correct setting.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading Rumor flies fast, and by this time a burly, belted policeman had arrived on the scene and stood towering in the background behind the quartette of servants, the butler, the second-man, who had apprehended the woman, a housemaid who had taken the custody of the child, and Mrs. Wilson's own maid.
