used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading At their house it was that Stephen had first seen this young man, rather over a year ago.
consider or hold as true
From this reading Her mother had wished her to go to this luncheon, for the Carringtons were old family friends, and Anna insisted that from time to time her daughter should accept their invitations.
personal knowledge or information about someone or something
From this reading At an old-fashioned, Kensington luncheon party, not very long after Raftery’s death, Stephen met and renewed her acquaintance with Jonathan Brockett, the playwright.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading At an old-fashioned, Kensington luncheon party, not very long after Raftery’s death, Stephen met and renewed her acquaintance with Jonathan Brockett, the playwright.
in the past
From this reading At their house it was that Stephen had first seen this young man, rather over a year ago.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading At an old-fashioned, Kensington luncheon party, not very long after Raftery’s death, Stephen met and renewed her acquaintance with Jonathan Brockett, the playwright.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading At an old-fashioned, Kensington luncheon party, not very long after Raftery’s death, Stephen met and renewed her acquaintance with Jonathan Brockett, the playwright.
a former copper coin of Pakistan and India
From this reading Her mother had wished her to go to this luncheon, for the Carringtons were old family friends, and Anna insisted that from time to time her daughter should accept their invitations.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading But on that occasion he had not been bored, for his sharp, grey eyes had lit upon Stephen; and as soon as he well could, the meal being over, he had made his way to her side and had remained there.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At an old-fashioned, Kensington luncheon party, not very long after Raftery’s death, Stephen met and renewed her acquaintance with Jonathan Brockett, the playwright.
be present at (meetings, church services, university), etc.
From this reading Brockett was a connection of the Carringtons; had he not been Stephen might never have met him, for such gatherings bored him exceedingly, and therefore it was not his habit to attend them.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Brockett was a connection of the Carringtons; had he not been Stephen might never have met him, for such gatherings bored him exceedingly, and therefore it was not his habit to attend them.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading But on that occasion he had not been bored, for his sharp, grey eyes had lit upon Stephen; and as soon as he well could, the meal being over, he had made his way to her side and had remained there.
boredadjectiveUS /bɔːrd/
tired of the world
From this reading Brockett was a connection of the Carringtons; had he not been Stephen might never have met him, for such gatherings bored him exceedingly, and therefore it was not his habit to attend them.
Brockett
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At an old-fashioned, Kensington luncheon party, not very long after Raftery’s death, Stephen met and renewed her acquaintance with Jonathan Brockett, the playwright.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But on that occasion he had not been bored, for his sharp, grey eyes had lit upon Stephen; and as soon as he well could, the meal being over, he had made his way to her side and had remained there.
Carringtons
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Her mother had wished her to go to this luncheon, for the Carringtons were old family friends, and Anna insisted that from time to time her daughter should accept their invitations.
a relation between things or events (as in the case of one causing the other or sharing features with it)
From this reading Brockett was a connection of the Carringtons; had he not been Stephen might never have met him, for such gatherings bored him exceedingly, and therefore it was not his habit to attend them.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading But on that occasion he had not been bored, for his sharp, grey eyes had lit upon Stephen; and as soon as he well could, the meal being over, he had made his way to her side and had remained there.
a female human offspring
From this reading Her mother had wished her to go to this luncheon, for the Carringtons were old family friends, and Anna insisted that from time to time her daughter should accept their invitations.
the event of dying or departure from life
From this reading At an old-fashioned, Kensington luncheon party, not very long after Raftery’s death, Stephen met and renewed her acquaintance with Jonathan Brockett, the playwright.
to an extreme degree
From this reading Brockett was a connection of the Carringtons; had he not been Stephen might never have met him, for such gatherings bored him exceedingly, and therefore it was not his habit to attend them.
opinion or judgment
From this reading But on that occasion he had not been bored, for his sharp, grey eyes had lit upon Stephen; and as soon as he well could, the meal being over, he had made his way to her side and had remained there.
a social unit living together
From this reading Her mother had wished her to go to this luncheon, for the Carringtons were old family friends, and Anna insisted that from time to time her daughter should accept their invitations.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading At their house it was that Stephen had first seen this young man, rather over a year ago.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Her mother had wished her to go to this luncheon, for the Carringtons were old family friends, and Anna insisted that from time to time her daughter should accept their invitations.
plural of “friend” — a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading Her mother had wished her to go to this luncheon, for the Carringtons were old family friends, and Anna insisted that from time to time her daughter should accept their invitations.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Her mother had wished her to go to this luncheon, for the Carringtons were old family friends, and Anna insisted that from time to time her daughter should accept their invitations.
gatheringsnounUS /ˈɡæðərɪŋz/
plural of “gathering” — a group of persons together in one place
From this reading Brockett was a connection of the Carringtons; had he not been Stephen might never have met him, for such gatherings bored him exceedingly, and therefore it was not his habit to attend them.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Her mother had wished her to go to this luncheon, for the Carringtons were old family friends, and Anna insisted that from time to time her daughter should accept their invitations.
of an achromatic color of any lightness intermediate between the extremes of white and black
From this reading But on that occasion he had not been bored, for his sharp, grey eyes had lit upon Stephen; and as soon as he well could, the meal being over, he had made his way to her side and had remained there.
an established custom
From this reading Brockett was a connection of the Carringtons; had he not been Stephen might never have met him, for such gatherings bored him exceedingly, and therefore it was not his habit to attend them.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Her mother had wished her to go to this luncheon, for the Carringtons were old family friends, and Anna insisted that from time to time her daughter should accept their invitations.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Brockett was a connection of the Carringtons; had he not been Stephen might never have met him, for such gatherings bored him exceedingly, and therefore it was not his habit to attend them.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Brockett was a connection of the Carringtons; had he not been Stephen might never have met him, for such gatherings bored him exceedingly, and therefore it was not his habit to attend them.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading At an old-fashioned, Kensington luncheon party, not very long after Raftery’s death, Stephen met and renewed her acquaintance with Jonathan Brockett, the playwright.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Brockett was a connection of the Carringtons; had he not been Stephen might never have met him, for such gatherings bored him exceedingly, and therefore it was not his habit to attend them.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Brockett was a connection of the Carringtons; had he not been Stephen might never have met him, for such gatherings bored him exceedingly, and therefore it was not his habit to attend them.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading At their house it was that Stephen had first seen this young man, rather over a year ago.
past form of “insist” — be emphatic or resolute and refuse to budge
From this reading Her mother had wished her to go to this luncheon, for the Carringtons were old family friends, and Anna insisted that from time to time her daughter should accept their invitations.
invitationsnounUS /ˌɪnvɪˈteɪʃənz/
plural of “invitation” — a request (spoken or written) to participate or be present or take part in something
From this reading Her mother had wished her to go to this luncheon, for the Carringtons were old family friends, and Anna insisted that from time to time her daughter should accept their invitations.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading At their house it was that Stephen had first seen this young man, rather over a year ago.
JonathannounUS /ˈdʒɑːnəθən/
red late-ripening apple; primarily eaten raw
From this reading At an old-fashioned, Kensington luncheon party, not very long after Raftery’s death, Stephen met and renewed her acquaintance with Jonathan Brockett, the playwright.
Kensington
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At an old-fashioned, Kensington luncheon party, not very long after Raftery’s death, Stephen met and renewed her acquaintance with Jonathan Brockett, the playwright.
provided with artificial light
From this reading But on that occasion he had not been bored, for his sharp, grey eyes had lit upon Stephen; and as soon as he well could, the meal being over, he had made his way to her side and had remained there.
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 At an old-fashioned, Kensington luncheon party, not very long after Raftery’s death, Stephen met and renewed her acquaintance with Jonathan Brockett, the playwright.
luncheonnounUS /ˈlʌntʃən/
a midday meal
From this reading At an old-fashioned, Kensington luncheon party, not very long after Raftery’s death, Stephen met and renewed her acquaintance with Jonathan Brockett, the playwright.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading But on that occasion he had not been bored, for his sharp, grey eyes had lit upon Stephen; and as soon as he well could, the meal being over, he had made his way to her side and had remained there.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading At their house it was that Stephen had first seen this young man, rather over a year ago.
the food served and eaten at one time
From this reading But on that occasion he had not been bored, for his sharp, grey eyes had lit upon Stephen; and as soon as he well could, the meal being over, he had made his way to her side and had remained there.
inflected form of “meet” — come together
From this reading At an old-fashioned, Kensington luncheon party, not very long after Raftery’s death, Stephen met and renewed her acquaintance with Jonathan Brockett, the playwright.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading Brockett was a connection of the Carringtons; had he not been Stephen might never have met him, for such gatherings bored him exceedingly, and therefore it was not his habit to attend them.
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading Her mother had wished her to go to this luncheon, for the Carringtons were old family friends, and Anna insisted that from time to time her daughter should accept their invitations.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading Brockett was a connection of the Carringtons; had he not been Stephen might never have met him, for such gatherings bored him exceedingly, and therefore it was not his habit to attend them.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading At an old-fashioned, Kensington luncheon party, not very long after Raftery’s death, Stephen met and renewed her acquaintance with Jonathan Brockett, the playwright.
an event that occurs at a critical time
From this reading But on that occasion he had not been bored, for his sharp, grey eyes had lit upon Stephen; and as soon as he well could, the meal being over, he had made his way to her side and had remained there.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Brockett was a connection of the Carringtons; had he not been Stephen might never have met him, for such gatherings bored him exceedingly, and therefore it was not his habit to attend them.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading Her mother had wished her to go to this luncheon, for the Carringtons were old family friends, and Anna insisted that from time to time her daughter should accept their invitations.
old-fashionedadjectiveUS /ˌoʊldˈfæʃənd/
out of fashion
From this reading At an old-fashioned, Kensington luncheon party, not very long after Raftery’s death, Stephen met and renewed her acquaintance with Jonathan Brockett, the playwright.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading But on that occasion he had not been bored, for his sharp, grey eyes had lit upon Stephen; and as soon as he well could, the meal being over, he had made his way to her side and had remained there.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading At their house it was that Stephen had first seen this young man, rather over a year ago.
an organization to gain political power
From this reading At an old-fashioned, Kensington luncheon party, not very long after Raftery’s death, Stephen met and renewed her acquaintance with Jonathan Brockett, the playwright.
playwrightnounUS /ˈpleɪraɪt/
someone who writes plays
From this reading At an old-fashioned, Kensington luncheon party, not very long after Raftery’s death, Stephen met and renewed her acquaintance with Jonathan Brockett, the playwright.
Raftery's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At an old-fashioned, Kensington luncheon party, not very long after Raftery’s death, Stephen met and renewed her acquaintance with Jonathan Brockett, the playwright.
on the contrary
From this reading At their house it was that Stephen had first seen this young man, rather over a year ago.
past form of “remain” — stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading But on that occasion he had not been bored, for his sharp, grey eyes had lit upon Stephen; and as soon as he well could, the meal being over, he had made his way to her side and had remained there.
renewedadjectiveUS /rɪˈnuːd/
restored to a new condition
From this reading At an old-fashioned, Kensington luncheon party, not very long after Raftery’s death, Stephen met and renewed her acquaintance with Jonathan Brockett, the playwright.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading At their house it was that Stephen had first seen this young man, rather over a year ago.
(of something seen or heard) clearly defined
From this reading But on that occasion he had not been bored, for his sharp, grey eyes had lit upon Stephen; and as soon as he well could, the meal being over, he had made his way to her side and had remained there.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading Her mother had wished her to go to this luncheon, for the Carringtons were old family friends, and Anna insisted that from time to time her daughter should accept their invitations.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading But on that occasion he had not been bored, for his sharp, grey eyes had lit upon Stephen; and as soon as he well could, the meal being over, he had made his way to her side and had remained there.
in the near future
From this reading But on that occasion he had not been bored, for his sharp, grey eyes had lit upon Stephen; and as soon as he well could, the meal being over, he had made his way to her side and had remained there.
StephennounUS /ˈstiːvən/
English writer (1832-1904)
From this reading At an old-fashioned, Kensington luncheon party, not very long after Raftery’s death, Stephen met and renewed her acquaintance with Jonathan Brockett, the playwright.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading Brockett was a connection of the Carringtons; had he not been Stephen might never have met him, for such gatherings bored him exceedingly, and therefore it was not his habit to attend them.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Her mother had wished her to go to this luncheon, for the Carringtons were old family friends, and Anna insisted that from time to time her daughter should accept their invitations.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading At an old-fashioned, Kensington luncheon party, not very long after Raftery’s death, Stephen met and renewed her acquaintance with Jonathan Brockett, the playwright.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Her mother had wished her to go to this luncheon, for the Carringtons were old family friends, and Anna insisted that from time to time her daughter should accept their invitations.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Brockett was a connection of the Carringtons; had he not been Stephen might never have met him, for such gatherings bored him exceedingly, and therefore it was not his habit to attend them.
in or at that place or location
From this reading But on that occasion he had not been bored, for his sharp, grey eyes had lit upon Stephen; and as soon as he well could, the meal being over, he had made his way to her side and had remained there.
for that reason; as a result
From this reading Brockett was a connection of the Carringtons; had he not been Stephen might never have met him, for such gatherings bored him exceedingly, and therefore it was not his habit to attend them.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Her mother had wished her to go to this luncheon, for the Carringtons were old family friends, and Anna insisted that from time to time her daughter should accept their invitations.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading Her mother had wished her to go to this luncheon, for the Carringtons were old family friends, and Anna insisted that from time to time her daughter should accept their invitations.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Her mother had wished her to go to this luncheon, for the Carringtons were old family friends, and Anna insisted that from time to time her daughter should accept their invitations.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading But on that occasion he had not been bored, for his sharp, grey eyes had lit upon Stephen; and as soon as he well could, the meal being over, he had made his way to her side and had remained there.
precisely as stated
From this reading At an old-fashioned, Kensington luncheon party, not very long after Raftery’s death, Stephen met and renewed her acquaintance with Jonathan Brockett, the playwright.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading At their house it was that Stephen had first seen this young man, rather over a year ago.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading But on that occasion he had not been bored, for his sharp, grey eyes had lit upon Stephen; and as soon as he well could, the meal being over, he had made his way to her side and had remained there.
(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 But on that occasion he had not been bored, for his sharp, grey eyes had lit upon Stephen; and as soon as he well could, the meal being over, he had made his way to her side and had remained there.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Her mother had wished her to go to this luncheon, for the Carringtons were old family friends, and Anna insisted that from time to time her daughter should accept their invitations.
past form of “wish” — hope for; have a wish
From this reading Her mother had wished her to go to this luncheon, for the Carringtons were old family friends, and Anna insisted that from time to time her daughter should accept their invitations.
in the company of; together with
From this reading At an old-fashioned, Kensington luncheon party, not very long after Raftery’s death, Stephen met and renewed her acquaintance with Jonathan Brockett, the playwright.
a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days
From this reading At their house it was that Stephen had first seen this young man, rather over a year ago.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading At their house it was that Stephen had first seen this young man, rather over a year ago.
