used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading There were a dozen people sitting around, drinking tea and chatting in little groups.
(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 They'll all go directly, and if they don't I shall turn them out.
aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/
Having no one else present.
From this reading "This is not a tea party, and it is quite true that I did ask you to come and have a chat with me alone, but I couldn't keep these people away.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The Duchess waved her sugar tongs imperiously, and David, who had hesitated upon the threshold of her drawing-room, made his way towards her.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading There were a dozen people sitting around, drinking tea and chatting in little groups.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading "Now don't look sulky, please," she begged, as she gave him her left hand.
make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading "This is not a tea party, and it is quite true that I did ask you to come and have a chat with me alone, but I couldn't keep these people away.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading "This is not a tea party, and it is quite true that I did ask you to come and have a chat with me alone, but I couldn't keep these people away.
inflected form of “beg” — call upon in supplication; entreat
From this reading "Now don't look sulky, please," she begged, as she gave him her left hand.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "This is not a tea party, and it is quite true that I did ask you to come and have a chat with me alone, but I couldn't keep these people away.
chatverbUS /tʃæt/
talk socially without exchanging too much information
From this reading "This is not a tea party, and it is quite true that I did ask you to come and have a chat with me alone, but I couldn't keep these people away.
chattingverbUS /ˈtʃætɪŋ/
inflected form of “chat” — talk socially without exchanging too much information
From this reading There were a dozen people sitting around, drinking tea and chatting in little groups.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading "This is not a tea party, and it is quite true that I did ask you to come and have a chat with me alone, but I couldn't keep these people away.
couldn't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "This is not a tea party, and it is quite true that I did ask you to come and have a chat with me alone, but I couldn't keep these people away.
patron saint of Wales (circa 520-600)
From this reading The Duchess waved her sugar tongs imperiously, and David, who had hesitated upon the threshold of her drawing-room, made his way towards her.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading "This is not a tea party, and it is quite true that I did ask you to come and have a chat with me alone, but I couldn't keep these people away.
without deviation
From this reading They'll all go directly, and if they don't I shall turn them out.
don't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Now don't look sulky, please," she begged, as she gave him her left hand.
the cardinal number that is the sum of eleven and one
From this reading There were a dozen people sitting around, drinking tea and chatting in little groups.
drawing-room
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Duchess waved her sugar tongs imperiously, and David, who had hesitated upon the threshold of her drawing-room, made his way towards her.
the act of consuming liquids
From this reading There were a dozen people sitting around, drinking tea and chatting in little groups.
DuchessnounUS /ˈdʌtʃəs/
the wife of a duke or a woman holding ducal title in her own right
From this reading The Duchess waved her sugar tongs imperiously, and David, who had hesitated upon the threshold of her drawing-room, made his way towards her.
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading "Now don't look sulky, please," she begged, as she gave him her left hand.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading They'll all go directly, and if they don't I shall turn them out.
groupsnounUS /ɡruːps/
plural of “group” — any number of entities (members) considered as a unit
From this reading There were a dozen people sitting around, drinking tea and chatting in little groups.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The Duchess waved her sugar tongs imperiously, and David, who had hesitated upon the threshold of her drawing-room, made his way towards her.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading "Now don't look sulky, please," she begged, as she gave him her left hand.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "This is not a tea party, and it is quite true that I did ask you to come and have a chat with me alone, but I couldn't keep these people away.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading The Duchess waved her sugar tongs imperiously, and David, who had hesitated upon the threshold of her drawing-room, made his way towards her.
past form of “hesitate” — pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness
From this reading The Duchess waved her sugar tongs imperiously, and David, who had hesitated upon the threshold of her drawing-room, made his way towards her.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Now don't look sulky, please," she begged, as she gave him her left hand.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The Duchess waved her sugar tongs imperiously, and David, who had hesitated upon the threshold of her drawing-room, made his way towards her.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "This is not a tea party, and it is quite true that I did ask you to come and have a chat with me alone, but I couldn't keep these people away.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading They'll all go directly, and if they don't I shall turn them out.
imperiouslyadverb
in an imperious manner
From this reading The Duchess waved her sugar tongs imperiously, and David, who had hesitated upon the threshold of her drawing-room, made his way towards her.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading There were a dozen people sitting around, drinking tea and chatting in little groups.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "This is not a tea party, and it is quite true that I did ask you to come and have a chat with me alone, but I couldn't keep these people away.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "This is not a tea party, and it is quite true that I did ask you to come and have a chat with me alone, but I couldn't keep these people away.
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading "This is not a tea party, and it is quite true that I did ask you to come and have a chat with me alone, but I couldn't keep these people away.
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 "Now don't look sulky, please," she begged, as she gave him her left hand.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading There were a dozen people sitting around, drinking tea and chatting in little groups.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading "Now don't look sulky, please," she begged, as she gave him her left hand.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading The Duchess waved her sugar tongs imperiously, and David, who had hesitated upon the threshold of her drawing-room, made his way towards her.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "This is not a tea party, and it is quite true that I did ask you to come and have a chat with me alone, but I couldn't keep these people away.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "This is not a tea party, and it is quite true that I did ask you to come and have a chat with me alone, but I couldn't keep these people away.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading "Now don't look sulky, please," she begged, as she gave him her left hand.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The Duchess waved her sugar tongs imperiously, and David, who had hesitated upon the threshold of her drawing-room, made his way towards her.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading They'll all go directly, and if they don't I shall turn them out.
an organization to gain political power
From this reading "This is not a tea party, and it is quite true that I did ask you to come and have a chat with me alone, but I couldn't keep these people away.
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading There were a dozen people sitting around, drinking tea and chatting in little groups.
give pleasure to or be pleasing to
From this reading "Now don't look sulky, please," she begged, as she gave him her left hand.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading "This is not a tea party, and it is quite true that I did ask you to come and have a chat with me alone, but I couldn't keep these people away.
used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest
From this reading They'll all go directly, and if they don't I shall turn them out.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Now don't look sulky, please," she begged, as she gave him her left hand.
(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)
From this reading There were a dozen people sitting around, drinking tea and chatting in little groups.
sugarnounUS /ˈʃʊɡər/
a white crystalline carbohydrate used as a sweetener and preservative
From this reading The Duchess waved her sugar tongs imperiously, and David, who had hesitated upon the threshold of her drawing-room, made his way towards her.
sulkyadjective
sullen or moody
From this reading "Now don't look sulky, please," she begged, as she gave him her left hand.
a beverage made by steeping tea leaves in water
From this reading There were a dozen people sitting around, drinking tea and chatting in little groups.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "This is not a tea party, and it is quite true that I did ask you to come and have a chat with me alone, but I couldn't keep these people away.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The Duchess waved her sugar tongs imperiously, and David, who had hesitated upon the threshold of her drawing-room, made his way towards her.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading They'll all go directly, and if they don't I shall turn them out.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There were a dozen people sitting around, drinking tea and chatting in little groups.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading "This is not a tea party, and it is quite true that I did ask you to come and have a chat with me alone, but I couldn't keep these people away.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They'll all go directly, and if they don't I shall turn them out.
They'll
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They'll all go directly, and if they don't I shall turn them out.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading "This is not a tea party, and it is quite true that I did ask you to come and have a chat with me alone, but I couldn't keep these people away.
thresholdnounUS /ˈθreʃoʊld/
the starting point for a new state or experience
From this reading The Duchess waved her sugar tongs imperiously, and David, who had hesitated upon the threshold of her drawing-room, made his way towards her.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "This is not a tea party, and it is quite true that I did ask you to come and have a chat with me alone, but I couldn't keep these people away.
tongsnounUS /tɑːŋz/
any of various devices for taking hold of objects; usually have two hinged legs with handles above and pointed hooks below
From this reading The Duchess waved her sugar tongs imperiously, and David, who had hesitated upon the threshold of her drawing-room, made his way towards her.
in the direction of
From this reading The Duchess waved her sugar tongs imperiously, and David, who had hesitated upon the threshold of her drawing-room, made his way towards her.
consistent with fact or reality; not false
From this reading "This is not a tea party, and it is quite true that I did ask you to come and have a chat with me alone, but I couldn't keep these people away.
change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense
From this reading They'll all go directly, and if they don't I shall turn them out.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading The Duchess waved her sugar tongs imperiously, and David, who had hesitated upon the threshold of her drawing-room, made his way towards her.
past form of “wave” — signal with the hands or nod
From this reading The Duchess waved her sugar tongs imperiously, and David, who had hesitated upon the threshold of her drawing-room, made his way towards her.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading The Duchess waved her sugar tongs imperiously, and David, who had hesitated upon the threshold of her drawing-room, made his way towards her.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading There were a dozen people sitting around, drinking tea and chatting in little groups.
which person or people
From this reading The Duchess waved her sugar tongs imperiously, and David, who had hesitated upon the threshold of her drawing-room, made his way towards her.
in the company of; together with
From this reading "This is not a tea party, and it is quite true that I did ask you to come and have a chat with me alone, but I couldn't keep these people away.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "This is not a tea party, and it is quite true that I did ask you to come and have a chat with me alone, but I couldn't keep these people away.
