used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Mrs. Maxwell was flying about with a duster in her hand, giving her orders to the servants, and working twice as busily as any of them.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Mrs. Maxwell was flying about with a duster in her hand, giving her orders to the servants, and working twice as busily as any of them.
(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 All the family at the cottage were awake at sunrise the next morning, and there was an unusual bustle throughout the house.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading AN ANNOUNCEMENT.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading All the family at the cottage were awake at sunrise the next morning, and there was an unusual bustle throughout the house.
ANNOUNCEMENTnounUS /əˈnaʊnsmənt/
a formal public statement
From this reading AN ANNOUNCEMENT.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading Mrs. Maxwell was flying about with a duster in her hand, giving her orders to the servants, and working twice as busily as any of them.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Mrs. Maxwell was flying about with a duster in her hand, giving her orders to the servants, and working twice as busily as any of them.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading All the family at the cottage were awake at sunrise the next morning, and there was an unusual bustle throughout the house.
awakeadjectiveUS /əˈweɪk/
not in a state of sleep; completely conscious
From this reading All the family at the cottage were awake at sunrise the next morning, and there was an unusual bustle throughout the house.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading This room had been occupied by Lucy's mother during her illness, and had been kept closed since her death.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading The large room opposite to Lucy's was open, and being put in thorough order.
busilyadverbUS /ˈbɪzəli/
in a busy manner
From this reading Mrs. Maxwell was flying about with a duster in her hand, giving her orders to the servants, and working twice as busily as any of them.
bustlenounUS /ˈbʌsəl/
a rapid active commotion
From this reading All the family at the cottage were awake at sunrise the next morning, and there was an unusual bustle throughout the house.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading This room had been occupied by Lucy's mother during her illness, and had been kept closed since her death.
not open or affording passage or access
From this reading This room had been occupied by Lucy's mother during her illness, and had been kept closed since her death.
a small house with a single story
From this reading All the family at the cottage were awake at sunrise the next morning, and there was an unusual bustle throughout the house.
the event of dying or departure from life
From this reading This room had been occupied by Lucy's mother during her illness, and had been kept closed since her death.
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading This room had been occupied by Lucy's mother during her illness, and had been kept closed since her death.
dusternounUS /ˈdʌstər/
a windstorm that lifts up clouds of dust or sand
From this reading Mrs. Maxwell was flying about with a duster in her hand, giving her orders to the servants, and working twice as busily as any of them.
a social unit living together
From this reading All the family at the cottage were awake at sunrise the next morning, and there was an unusual bustle throughout the house.
moving swiftly
From this reading Mrs. Maxwell was flying about with a duster in her hand, giving her orders to the servants, and working twice as busily as any of them.
the act of giving
From this reading Mrs. Maxwell was flying about with a duster in her hand, giving her orders to the servants, and working twice as busily as any of them.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading This room had been occupied by Lucy's mother during her illness, and had been kept closed since her death.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading Mrs. Maxwell was flying about with a duster in her hand, giving her orders to the servants, and working twice as busily as any of them.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Mrs. Maxwell was flying about with a duster in her hand, giving her orders to the servants, and working twice as busily as any of them.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading All the family at the cottage were awake at sunrise the next morning, and there was an unusual bustle throughout the house.
illnessnounUS /ˈɪlnəs/
impairment of normal physiological function affecting part or all of an organism
From this reading This room had been occupied by Lucy's mother during her illness, and had been kept closed since her death.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Mrs. Maxwell was flying about with a duster in her hand, giving her orders to the servants, and working twice as busily as any of them.
(especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded
From this reading This room had been occupied by Lucy's mother during her illness, and had been kept closed since her death.
largeadjectiveUS /lɑːrdʒ/
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading The large room opposite to Lucy's was open, and being put in thorough order.
Lucy'snounUS /ˈluːsiz/
possessive form of “lucy” — incomplete skeleton of female found in eastern Ethiopia in 1974
From this reading The large room opposite to Lucy's was open, and being put in thorough order.
MaxwellnounUS /ˈmækswel/
a cgs unit of magnetic flux equal to the flux perpendicular to an area of 1 square centimeter in a magnetic field of 1 gauss
From this reading Mrs. Maxwell was flying about with a duster in her hand, giving her orders to the servants, and working twice as busily as any of them.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading All the family at the cottage were awake at sunrise the next morning, and there was an unusual bustle throughout the house.
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading This room had been occupied by Lucy's mother during her illness, and had been kept closed since her death.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading Mrs. Maxwell was flying about with a duster in her hand, giving her orders to the servants, and working twice as busily as any of them.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading All the family at the cottage were awake at sunrise the next morning, and there was an unusual bustle throughout the house.
held or filled or in use
From this reading This room had been occupied by Lucy's mother during her illness, and had been kept closed since her death.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Mrs. Maxwell was flying about with a duster in her hand, giving her orders to the servants, and working twice as busily as any of them.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading The large room opposite to Lucy's was open, and being put in thorough order.
being directly across from each other; facing
From this reading The large room opposite to Lucy's was open, and being put in thorough order.
(often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed
From this reading The large room opposite to Lucy's was open, and being put in thorough order.
plural of “order” — (often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed
From this reading Mrs. Maxwell was flying about with a duster in her hand, giving her orders to the servants, and working twice as busily as any of them.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading The large room opposite to Lucy's was open, and being put in thorough order.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading The large room opposite to Lucy's was open, and being put in thorough order.
plural of “servant” — a person working in the service of another (especially in the household)
From this reading Mrs. Maxwell was flying about with a duster in her hand, giving her orders to the servants, and working twice as busily as any of them.
sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/
from a time in the past until now
From this reading This room had been occupied by Lucy's mother during her illness, and had been kept closed since her death.
sunrisenounUS /ˈsʌnraɪz/
the first light of day
From this reading All the family at the cottage were awake at sunrise the next morning, and there was an unusual bustle throughout the house.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading All the family at the cottage were awake at sunrise the next morning, and there was an unusual bustle throughout the house.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Mrs. Maxwell was flying about with a duster in her hand, giving her orders to the servants, and working twice as busily as any of them.
in or at that place or location
From this reading All the family at the cottage were awake at sunrise the next morning, and there was an unusual bustle throughout the house.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This room had been occupied by Lucy's mother during her illness, and had been kept closed since her death.
thoroughadjectiveUS /ˈθɜːroʊ/
painstakingly careful and accurate
From this reading The large room opposite to Lucy's was open, and being put in thorough order.
in every part of a place, or for the whole of a period
From this reading All the family at the cottage were awake at sunrise the next morning, and there was an unusual bustle throughout the house.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Mrs. Maxwell was flying about with a duster in her hand, giving her orders to the servants, and working twice as busily as any of them.
two times
From this reading Mrs. Maxwell was flying about with a duster in her hand, giving her orders to the servants, and working twice as busily as any of them.
not usual or common or ordinary
From this reading All the family at the cottage were awake at sunrise the next morning, and there was an unusual bustle throughout the house.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading All the family at the cottage were awake at sunrise the next morning, and there was an unusual bustle throughout the house.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading All the family at the cottage were awake at sunrise the next morning, and there was an unusual bustle throughout the house.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Mrs. Maxwell was flying about with a duster in her hand, giving her orders to the servants, and working twice as busily as any of them.
actively engaged in paid work
From this reading Mrs. Maxwell was flying about with a duster in her hand, giving her orders to the servants, and working twice as busily as any of them.
