used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading On entering the house I found my uncle looking over a packet of letters that his valet had just brought from Rivoli.
take a court case to a higher court for review
From this reading No one would have thought from her quiet demeanour that she had just been the recipient of a passionate love appeal.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading No one would have thought from her quiet demeanour that she had just been the recipient of a passionate love appeal.
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading On entering the house I found my uncle looking over a packet of letters that his valet had just brought from Rivoli.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading "How well women can conceal these things," I thought, dropping despondently into a chair.
a seat for one person, with a support for the back
From this reading "How well women can conceal these things," I thought, dropping despondently into a chair.
prevent from being seen or discovered
From this reading "How well women can conceal these things," I thought, dropping despondently into a chair.
the activity of selecting the scenes to be shown and putting them together to create a film
From this reading Daphne was cutting open the envelopes with a paper knife.
DaphnenounUS /ˈdæfni/
any of several ornamental shrubs with shiny mostly evergreen leaves and clusters of small bell-shaped flowers
From this reading Daphne was cutting open the envelopes with a paper knife.
demeanournounUS /dɪˈmiːnər/
(behavioral attributes) the way a person behaves toward other people
From this reading No one would have thought from her quiet demeanour that she had just been the recipient of a passionate love appeal.
despondentlyadverb
with desperation
From this reading "How well women can conceal these things," I thought, dropping despondently into a chair.
droppingadjectiveUS /ˈdrɑːpɪŋ/
coming down freely under the influence of gravity
From this reading "How well women can conceal these things," I thought, dropping despondently into a chair.
a movement into or inward
From this reading On entering the house I found my uncle looking over a packet of letters that his valet had just brought from Rivoli.
envelopesnounUS /ˈenvəloʊps/
plural of “envelope” — a flat (usually rectangular) container for a letter, thin package, etc.
From this reading Daphne was cutting open the envelopes with a paper knife.
set up or found
From this reading On entering the house I found my uncle looking over a packet of letters that his valet had just brought from Rivoli.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading On entering the house I found my uncle looking over a packet of letters that his valet had just brought from Rivoli.
a mental representation of some haunting experience
From this reading GHOST OR MORTAL?
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading On entering the house I found my uncle looking over a packet of letters that his valet had just brought from Rivoli.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading No one would have thought from her quiet demeanour that she had just been the recipient of a passionate love appeal.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading No one would have thought from her quiet demeanour that she had just been the recipient of a passionate love appeal.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading On entering the house I found my uncle looking over a packet of letters that his valet had just brought from Rivoli.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading On entering the house I found my uncle looking over a packet of letters that his valet had just brought from Rivoli.
How
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "How well women can conceal these things," I thought, dropping despondently into a chair.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading On entering the house I found my uncle looking over a packet of letters that his valet had just brought from Rivoli.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading "How well women can conceal these things," I thought, dropping despondently into a chair.
and nothing more
From this reading On entering the house I found my uncle looking over a packet of letters that his valet had just brought from Rivoli.
edge tool used as a cutting instrument; has a pointed blade with a sharp edge and a handle
From this reading Daphne was cutting open the envelopes with a paper knife.
the literary culture
From this reading On entering the house I found my uncle looking over a packet of letters that his valet had just brought from Rivoli.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading On entering the house I found my uncle looking over a packet of letters that his valet had just brought from Rivoli.
a strong positive emotion of regard and affection
From this reading No one would have thought from her quiet demeanour that she had just been the recipient of a passionate love appeal.
subject to death
From this reading GHOST OR MORTAL?
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading On entering the house I found my uncle looking over a packet of letters that his valet had just brought from Rivoli.
not any; not one
From this reading No one would have thought from her quiet demeanour that she had just been the recipient of a passionate love appeal.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading On entering the house I found my uncle looking over a packet of letters that his valet had just brought from Rivoli.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading On entering the house I found my uncle looking over a packet of letters that his valet had just brought from Rivoli.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading No one would have thought from her quiet demeanour that she had just been the recipient of a passionate love appeal.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading Daphne was cutting open the envelopes with a paper knife.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading GHOST OR MORTAL?
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading On entering the house I found my uncle looking over a packet of letters that his valet had just brought from Rivoli.
packetnounUS /ˈpækət/
a collection of things wrapped or boxed together
From this reading On entering the house I found my uncle looking over a packet of letters that his valet had just brought from Rivoli.
a material made of cellulose pulp derived mainly from wood or rags or certain grasses
From this reading Daphne was cutting open the envelopes with a paper knife.
having or expressing strong emotions
From this reading No one would have thought from her quiet demeanour that she had just been the recipient of a passionate love appeal.
quietadjectiveUS /ˈkwaɪət/
characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity
From this reading No one would have thought from her quiet demeanour that she had just been the recipient of a passionate love appeal.
recipientnounUS /rəˈsɪpiənt/
a person who receives something
From this reading No one would have thought from her quiet demeanour that she had just been the recipient of a passionate love appeal.
Rivoli
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On entering the house I found my uncle looking over a packet of letters that his valet had just brought from Rivoli.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading No one would have thought from her quiet demeanour that she had just been the recipient of a passionate love appeal.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading On entering the house I found my uncle looking over a packet of letters that his valet had just brought from Rivoli.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading On entering the house I found my uncle looking over a packet of letters that his valet had just brought from Rivoli.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading "How well women can conceal these things," I thought, dropping despondently into a chair.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading "How well women can conceal these things," I thought, dropping despondently into a chair.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading No one would have thought from her quiet demeanour that she had just been the recipient of a passionate love appeal.
the brother of your father or mother; the husband of your aunt
From this reading On entering the house I found my uncle looking over a packet of letters that his valet had just brought from Rivoli.
valetnounUS /væˈleɪ/
a manservant who acts as a personal attendant to his employer
From this reading On entering the house I found my uncle looking over a packet of letters that his valet had just brought from Rivoli.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Daphne was cutting open the envelopes with a paper knife.
(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 "How well women can conceal these things," I thought, dropping despondently into a chair.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Daphne was cutting open the envelopes with a paper knife.
plural of “woman” — an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading "How well women can conceal these things," I thought, dropping despondently into a chair.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading No one would have thought from her quiet demeanour that she had just been the recipient of a passionate love appeal.
