used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Do all he could, Lord Hovenden had somehow found it impossible, these last few days, to get Irene for a moment to himself.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading The change had come about almost suddenly, just after that fellow Chelifer had made his appearance.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading The change had come about almost suddenly, just after that fellow Chelifer had made his appearance.
(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 Do all he could, Lord Hovenden had somehow found it impossible, these last few days, to get Irene for a moment to himself.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading The change had come about almost suddenly, just after that fellow Chelifer had made his appearance.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading Whenever during those days an opportunity for a _tête-à-tête_ presented itself Irene had been always at hand and, what was more, always delighted to seize the opportunity.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Whenever during those days an opportunity for a _tête-à-tête_ presented itself Irene had been always at hand and, what was more, always delighted to seize the opportunity.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Whenever during those days an opportunity for a _tête-à-tête_ presented itself Irene had been always at hand and, what was more, always delighted to seize the opportunity.
outward or visible aspect of a person or thing
From this reading The change had come about almost suddenly, just after that fellow Chelifer had made his appearance.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Before he came, there had been a time—beginning, strangely enough, almost as suddenly as it had ended—a time of blissful happiness.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Whenever during those days an opportunity for a _tête-à-tête_ presented itself Irene had been always at hand and, what was more, always delighted to seize the opportunity.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Before he came, there had been a time—beginning, strangely enough, almost as suddenly as it had ended—a time of blissful happiness.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Before he came, there had been a time—beginning, strangely enough, almost as suddenly as it had ended—a time of blissful happiness.
the event consisting of the start of something
From this reading Before he came, there had been a time—beginning, strangely enough, almost as suddenly as it had ended—a time of blissful happiness.
blissfuladjectiveUS /ˈblɪsfəl/
completely happy and contented
From this reading Before he came, there had been a time—beginning, strangely enough, almost as suddenly as it had ended—a time of blissful happiness.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading They had been for long walks together, they had swum together far out into the sea, sat together in the gardens, sometimes talking, sometimes silent; but very happy, whether they spoke or not.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Before he came, there had been a time—beginning, strangely enough, almost as suddenly as it had ended—a time of blissful happiness.
cause to change; make different; cause a transformation
From this reading The change had come about almost suddenly, just after that fellow Chelifer had made his appearance.
Chelifernoun
a genus of Chelonethida
From this reading The change had come about almost suddenly, just after that fellow Chelifer had made his appearance.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading The change had come about almost suddenly, just after that fellow Chelifer had made his appearance.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Do all he could, Lord Hovenden had somehow found it impossible, these last few days, to get Irene for a moment to himself.
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading Do all he could, Lord Hovenden had somehow found it impossible, these last few days, to get Irene for a moment to himself.
greatly pleased
From this reading Whenever during those days an opportunity for a _tête-à-tête_ presented itself Irene had been always at hand and, what was more, always delighted to seize the opportunity.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading Do all he could, Lord Hovenden had somehow found it impossible, these last few days, to get Irene for a moment to himself.
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading Whenever during those days an opportunity for a _tête-à-tête_ presented itself Irene had been always at hand and, what was more, always delighted to seize the opportunity.
endedadjectiveUS /ˈendəd/
having come or been brought to a conclusion
From this reading Before he came, there had been a time—beginning, strangely enough, almost as suddenly as it had ended—a time of blissful happiness.
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading Before he came, there had been a time—beginning, strangely enough, almost as suddenly as it had ended—a time of blissful happiness.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading They had been for long walks together, they had swum together far out into the sea, sat together in the gardens, sometimes talking, sometimes silent; but very happy, whether they spoke or not.
a boy or man
From this reading The change had come about almost suddenly, just after that fellow Chelifer had made his appearance.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading Do all he could, Lord Hovenden had somehow found it impossible, these last few days, to get Irene for a moment to himself.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Do all he could, Lord Hovenden had somehow found it impossible, these last few days, to get Irene for a moment to himself.
set up or found
From this reading Do all he could, Lord Hovenden had somehow found it impossible, these last few days, to get Irene for a moment to himself.
plural of “garden” — a plot of ground where plants are cultivated
From this reading They had been for long walks together, they had swum together far out into the sea, sat together in the gardens, sometimes talking, sometimes silent; but very happy, whether they spoke or not.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading Do all he could, Lord Hovenden had somehow found it impossible, these last few days, to get Irene for a moment to himself.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Do all he could, Lord Hovenden had somehow found it impossible, these last few days, to get Irene for a moment to himself.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading Whenever during those days an opportunity for a _tête-à-tête_ presented itself Irene had been always at hand and, what was more, always delighted to seize the opportunity.
state of well-being characterized by emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy
From this reading Before he came, there had been a time—beginning, strangely enough, almost as suddenly as it had ended—a time of blissful happiness.
enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure
From this reading They had been for long walks together, they had swum together far out into the sea, sat together in the gardens, sometimes talking, sometimes silent; but very happy, whether they spoke or not.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Do all he could, Lord Hovenden had somehow found it impossible, these last few days, to get Irene for a moment to himself.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading Do all he could, Lord Hovenden had somehow found it impossible, these last few days, to get Irene for a moment to himself.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The change had come about almost suddenly, just after that fellow Chelifer had made his appearance.
Hovenden
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Do all he could, Lord Hovenden had somehow found it impossible, these last few days, to get Irene for a moment to himself.
not capable of occurring or being accomplished or dealt with
From this reading Do all he could, Lord Hovenden had somehow found it impossible, these last few days, to get Irene for a moment to himself.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading They had been for long walks together, they had swum together far out into the sea, sat together in the gardens, sometimes talking, sometimes silent; but very happy, whether they spoke or not.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading They had been for long walks together, they had swum together far out into the sea, sat together in the gardens, sometimes talking, sometimes silent; but very happy, whether they spoke or not.
Irene
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Do all he could, Lord Hovenden had somehow found it impossible, these last few days, to get Irene for a moment to himself.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Do all he could, Lord Hovenden had somehow found it impossible, these last few days, to get Irene for a moment to himself.
used when the thing doing the action is also its object
From this reading Whenever during those days an opportunity for a _tête-à-tête_ presented itself Irene had been always at hand and, what was more, always delighted to seize the opportunity.
and nothing more
From this reading The change had come about almost suddenly, just after that fellow Chelifer had made his appearance.
immediately past
From this reading Do all he could, Lord Hovenden had somehow found it impossible, these last few days, to get Irene for a moment to himself.
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 They had been for long walks together, they had swum together far out into the sea, sat together in the gardens, sometimes talking, sometimes silent; but very happy, whether they spoke or not.
terms referring to the Judeo-Christian God
From this reading Do all he could, Lord Hovenden had somehow found it impossible, these last few days, to get Irene for a moment to himself.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading The change had come about almost suddenly, just after that fellow Chelifer had made his appearance.
a particular point in time
From this reading Do all he could, Lord Hovenden had somehow found it impossible, these last few days, to get Irene for a moment to himself.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Whenever during those days an opportunity for a _tête-à-tête_ presented itself Irene had been always at hand and, what was more, always delighted to seize the opportunity.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading They had been for long walks together, they had swum together far out into the sea, sat together in the gardens, sometimes talking, sometimes silent; but very happy, whether they spoke or not.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Before he came, there had been a time—beginning, strangely enough, almost as suddenly as it had ended—a time of blissful happiness.
a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances
From this reading Whenever during those days an opportunity for a _tête-à-tête_ presented itself Irene had been always at hand and, what was more, always delighted to seize the opportunity.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading They had been for long walks together, they had swum together far out into the sea, sat together in the gardens, sometimes talking, sometimes silent; but very happy, whether they spoke or not.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading They had been for long walks together, they had swum together far out into the sea, sat together in the gardens, sometimes talking, sometimes silent; but very happy, whether they spoke or not.
past form of “present” — give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading Whenever during those days an opportunity for a _tête-à-tête_ presented itself Irene had been always at hand and, what was more, always delighted to seize the opportunity.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading They had been for long walks together, they had swum together far out into the sea, sat together in the gardens, sometimes talking, sometimes silent; but very happy, whether they spoke or not.
a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land
From this reading They had been for long walks together, they had swum together far out into the sea, sat together in the gardens, sometimes talking, sometimes silent; but very happy, whether they spoke or not.
seizeverbUS /siːz/
take hold of; grab
From this reading Whenever during those days an opportunity for a _tête-à-tête_ presented itself Irene had been always at hand and, what was more, always delighted to seize the opportunity.
marked by absence of sound
From this reading They had been for long walks together, they had swum together far out into the sea, sat together in the gardens, sometimes talking, sometimes silent; but very happy, whether they spoke or not.
in some unspecified way or manner; or by some unspecified means
From this reading Do all he could, Lord Hovenden had somehow found it impossible, these last few days, to get Irene for a moment to himself.
on certain occasions or in certain cases but not always
From this reading They had been for long walks together, they had swum together far out into the sea, sat together in the gardens, sometimes talking, sometimes silent; but very happy, whether they spoke or not.
support consisting of a radial member of a wheel joining the hub to the rim
From this reading They had been for long walks together, they had swum together far out into the sea, sat together in the gardens, sometimes talking, sometimes silent; but very happy, whether they spoke or not.
in a strange manner
From this reading Before he came, there had been a time—beginning, strangely enough, almost as suddenly as it had ended—a time of blissful happiness.
happening unexpectedly
From this reading The change had come about almost suddenly, just after that fellow Chelifer had made his appearance.
swumverbUS /swʌm/
inflected form of “swim” — travel through water
From this reading They had been for long walks together, they had swum together far out into the sea, sat together in the gardens, sometimes talking, sometimes silent; but very happy, whether they spoke or not.
an exchange of ideas via conversation
From this reading They had been for long walks together, they had swum together far out into the sea, sat together in the gardens, sometimes talking, sometimes silent; but very happy, whether they spoke or not.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The change had come about almost suddenly, just after that fellow Chelifer had made his appearance.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The change had come about almost suddenly, just after that fellow Chelifer had made his appearance.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Before he came, there had been a time—beginning, strangely enough, almost as suddenly as it had ended—a time of blissful happiness.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading Do all he could, Lord Hovenden had somehow found it impossible, these last few days, to get Irene for a moment to himself.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They had been for long walks together, they had swum together far out into the sea, sat together in the gardens, sometimes talking, sometimes silent; but very happy, whether they spoke or not.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading Whenever during those days an opportunity for a _tête-à-tête_ presented itself Irene had been always at hand and, what was more, always delighted to seize the opportunity.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading Before he came, there had been a time—beginning, strangely enough, almost as suddenly as it had ended—a time of blissful happiness.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Do all he could, Lord Hovenden had somehow found it impossible, these last few days, to get Irene for a moment to himself.
in contact with each other or in proximity
From this reading They had been for long walks together, they had swum together far out into the sea, sat together in the gardens, sometimes talking, sometimes silent; but very happy, whether they spoke or not.
tête-à-tête
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Whenever during those days an opportunity for a _tête-à-tête_ presented itself Irene had been always at hand and, what was more, always delighted to seize the opportunity.
precisely as stated
From this reading They had been for long walks together, they had swum together far out into the sea, sat together in the gardens, sometimes talking, sometimes silent; but very happy, whether they spoke or not.
walksnounUS /wɔːks/
plural of “walk” — the act of traveling by foot
From this reading They had been for long walks together, they had swum together far out into the sea, sat together in the gardens, sometimes talking, sometimes silent; but very happy, whether they spoke or not.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Whenever during those days an opportunity for a _tête-à-tête_ presented itself Irene had been always at hand and, what was more, always delighted to seize the opportunity.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading Whenever during those days an opportunity for a _tête-à-tête_ presented itself Irene had been always at hand and, what was more, always delighted to seize the opportunity.
at any time that; every time that
From this reading Whenever during those days an opportunity for a _tête-à-tête_ presented itself Irene had been always at hand and, what was more, always delighted to seize the opportunity.
used to introduce two or more possibilities
From this reading They had been for long walks together, they had swum together far out into the sea, sat together in the gardens, sometimes talking, sometimes silent; but very happy, whether they spoke or not.
