used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading WHEN the last guest had grimaced at her and left the drawing-room, Lady Holme stood with her hand on the mantelpiece, facing a tall mirror.
accentnounUS /əkˈsent/
distinctive manner of oral expression
From this reading She spoke English with a slight foreign accent which men generally liked and women loathed.
having companions or an escort
From this reading Her husband had accompanied Mrs. Wolfstein downstairs, and Lady Holme could hear his big, booming voice below, interrupted now and then by her impudent soprano.
aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/
Having no one else present.
From this reading She was alone for the moment.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading WHEN the last guest had grimaced at her and left the drawing-room, Lady Holme stood with her hand on the mantelpiece, facing a tall mirror.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading WHEN the last guest had grimaced at her and left the drawing-room, Lady Holme stood with her hand on the mantelpiece, facing a tall mirror.
belowprepositionUS /bɪˈloʊ/
at or to a lower level than something
From this reading Her husband had accompanied Mrs. Wolfstein downstairs, and Lady Holme could hear his big, booming voice below, interrupted now and then by her impudent soprano.
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Her husband had accompanied Mrs. Wolfstein downstairs, and Lady Holme could hear his big, booming voice below, interrupted now and then by her impudent soprano.
boomingadjectiveUS /ˈbuːmɪŋ/
very lively and profitable
From this reading Her husband had accompanied Mrs. Wolfstein downstairs, and Lady Holme could hear his big, booming voice below, interrupted now and then by her impudent soprano.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Her husband had accompanied Mrs. Wolfstein downstairs, and Lady Holme could hear his big, booming voice below, interrupted now and then by her impudent soprano.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Her husband had accompanied Mrs. Wolfstein downstairs, and Lady Holme could hear his big, booming voice below, interrupted now and then by her impudent soprano.
downstairsadverbUS /ˈdaʊnˈsterz/
on a floor below
From this reading Her husband had accompanied Mrs. Wolfstein downstairs, and Lady Holme could hear his big, booming voice below, interrupted now and then by her impudent soprano.
drawing-room
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading WHEN the last guest had grimaced at her and left the drawing-room, Lady Holme stood with her hand on the mantelpiece, facing a tall mirror.
an Indo-European language belonging to the West Germanic branch; the official language of Britain and the United States and most of the commonwealth countries
From this reading She spoke English with a slight foreign accent which men generally liked and women loathed.
facingnounUS /ˈfeɪsɪŋ/
a lining applied to the edge of a garment for ornamentation or strengthening
From this reading WHEN the last guest had grimaced at her and left the drawing-room, Lady Holme stood with her hand on the mantelpiece, facing a tall mirror.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading She was alone for the moment.
of concern to or concerning the affairs of other nations (other than your own)
From this reading She spoke English with a slight foreign accent which men generally liked and women loathed.
usually; as a rule
From this reading She spoke English with a slight foreign accent which men generally liked and women loathed.
grimacedverbUS /ˈɡrɪməst/
past form of “grimace” — contort the face to indicate a certain mental or emotional state
From this reading WHEN the last guest had grimaced at her and left the drawing-room, Lady Holme stood with her hand on the mantelpiece, facing a tall mirror.
a visitor to whom hospitality is extended
From this reading WHEN the last guest had grimaced at her and left the drawing-room, Lady Holme stood with her hand on the mantelpiece, facing a tall mirror.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading WHEN the last guest had grimaced at her and left the drawing-room, Lady Holme stood with her hand on the mantelpiece, facing a tall mirror.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading WHEN the last guest had grimaced at her and left the drawing-room, Lady Holme stood with her hand on the mantelpiece, facing a tall mirror.
perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
From this reading Her husband had accompanied Mrs. Wolfstein downstairs, and Lady Holme could hear his big, booming voice below, interrupted now and then by her impudent soprano.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading WHEN the last guest had grimaced at her and left the drawing-room, Lady Holme stood with her hand on the mantelpiece, facing a tall mirror.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Her husband had accompanied Mrs. Wolfstein downstairs, and Lady Holme could hear his big, booming voice below, interrupted now and then by her impudent soprano.
Holme
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading WHEN the last guest had grimaced at her and left the drawing-room, Lady Holme stood with her hand on the mantelpiece, facing a tall mirror.
a married man; a woman's partner in marriage
From this reading Her husband had accompanied Mrs. Wolfstein downstairs, and Lady Holme could hear his big, booming voice below, interrupted now and then by her impudent soprano.
impudentadjective
marked by casual disrespect
From this reading Her husband had accompanied Mrs. Wolfstein downstairs, and Lady Holme could hear his big, booming voice below, interrupted now and then by her impudent soprano.
discontinued temporarily
From this reading Her husband had accompanied Mrs. Wolfstein downstairs, and Lady Holme could hear his big, booming voice below, interrupted now and then by her impudent soprano.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Lady Holme loathed it.
a polite name for any woman
From this reading WHEN the last guest had grimaced at her and left the drawing-room, Lady Holme stood with her hand on the mantelpiece, facing a tall mirror.
immediately past
From this reading WHEN the last guest had grimaced at her and left the drawing-room, Lady Holme stood with her hand on the mantelpiece, facing a tall mirror.
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 WHEN the last guest had grimaced at her and left the drawing-room, Lady Holme stood with her hand on the mantelpiece, facing a tall mirror.
found pleasant or attractive; often used as a combining form
From this reading She spoke English with a slight foreign accent which men generally liked and women loathed.
loathedverbUS /loʊðd/
past form of “loathe” — find repugnant
From this reading She spoke English with a slight foreign accent which men generally liked and women loathed.
mantelpiecenoun
shelf that projects from wall above fireplace
From this reading WHEN the last guest had grimaced at her and left the drawing-room, Lady Holme stood with her hand on the mantelpiece, facing a tall mirror.
the force of workers available
From this reading She spoke English with a slight foreign accent which men generally liked and women loathed.
mirrornounUS /ˈmɪrər/
polished surface that forms images by reflecting light
From this reading WHEN the last guest had grimaced at her and left the drawing-room, Lady Holme stood with her hand on the mantelpiece, facing a tall mirror.
a particular point in time
From this reading She was alone for the moment.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading Her husband had accompanied Mrs. Wolfstein downstairs, and Lady Holme could hear his big, booming voice below, interrupted now and then by her impudent soprano.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Her husband had accompanied Mrs. Wolfstein downstairs, and Lady Holme could hear his big, booming voice below, interrupted now and then by her impudent soprano.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading WHEN the last guest had grimaced at her and left the drawing-room, Lady Holme stood with her hand on the mantelpiece, facing a tall mirror.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She was alone for the moment.
a deliberate discourteous act (usually as an expression of anger or disapproval)
From this reading She spoke English with a slight foreign accent which men generally liked and women loathed.
sopranonounUS /səˈprɑːnoʊ/
a female singer
From this reading Her husband had accompanied Mrs. Wolfstein downstairs, and Lady Holme could hear his big, booming voice below, interrupted now and then by her impudent soprano.
support consisting of a radial member of a wheel joining the hub to the rim
From this reading She spoke English with a slight foreign accent which men generally liked and women loathed.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading WHEN the last guest had grimaced at her and left the drawing-room, Lady Holme stood with her hand on the mantelpiece, facing a tall mirror.
great in vertical dimension; high in stature
From this reading WHEN the last guest had grimaced at her and left the drawing-room, Lady Holme stood with her hand on the mantelpiece, facing a tall mirror.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading WHEN the last guest had grimaced at her and left the drawing-room, Lady Holme stood with her hand on the mantelpiece, facing a tall mirror.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Her husband had accompanied Mrs. Wolfstein downstairs, and Lady Holme could hear his big, booming voice below, interrupted now and then by her impudent soprano.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading Her husband had accompanied Mrs. Wolfstein downstairs, and Lady Holme could hear his big, booming voice below, interrupted now and then by her impudent soprano.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading She was alone for the moment.
at the time that
From this reading WHEN the last guest had grimaced at her and left the drawing-room, Lady Holme stood with her hand on the mantelpiece, facing a tall mirror.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading She spoke English with a slight foreign accent which men generally liked and women loathed.
in the company of; together with
From this reading WHEN the last guest had grimaced at her and left the drawing-room, Lady Holme stood with her hand on the mantelpiece, facing a tall mirror.
Wolfstein
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Her husband had accompanied Mrs. Wolfstein downstairs, and Lady Holme could hear his big, booming voice below, interrupted now and then by her impudent soprano.
plural of “woman” — an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading She spoke English with a slight foreign accent which men generally liked and women loathed.
