used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading IT is one thing for a maiden to invite a young man to a garden, and quite another to know what to do with him when she gets him there.
(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 The ostensible pretext given had been the gathering of a bouquet for Lucy; but we all know that a woman's ostensible pretexts are--well, ostensible pretexts.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading IT is one thing for a maiden to invite a young man to a garden, and quite another to know what to do with him when she gets him there.
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading IT is one thing for a maiden to invite a young man to a garden, and quite another to know what to do with him when she gets him there.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The ostensible pretext given had been the gathering of a bouquet for Lucy; but we all know that a woman's ostensible pretexts are--well, ostensible pretexts.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading It would have puzzled Dorothy to say exactly why she had asked Tom Pinder to help her cull flowers.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading She had wearied of the mild pleasure of poking fun at his French.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading For one thing Dorothy had had enough of Nehemiah Wimpenny, and wanted to be decently free of him for the rest of the day.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading The ostensible pretext given had been the gathering of a bouquet for Lucy; but we all know that a woman's ostensible pretexts are--well, ostensible pretexts.
bouquetnounUS /buːˈkeɪ/
an arrangement of flowers that is usually given as a present
From this reading The ostensible pretext given had been the gathering of a bouquet for Lucy; but we all know that a woman's ostensible pretexts are--well, ostensible pretexts.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The ostensible pretext given had been the gathering of a bouquet for Lucy; but we all know that a woman's ostensible pretexts are--well, ostensible pretexts.
cullverbUS /kʌl/
remove something that has been rejected
From this reading It would have puzzled Dorothy to say exactly why she had asked Tom Pinder to help her cull flowers.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading For one thing Dorothy had had enough of Nehemiah Wimpenny, and wanted to be decently free of him for the rest of the day.
decentlyadverbUS /ˈdiːsəntli/
in a decent manner
From this reading For one thing Dorothy had had enough of Nehemiah Wimpenny, and wanted to be decently free of him for the rest of the day.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading IT is one thing for a maiden to invite a young man to a garden, and quite another to know what to do with him when she gets him there.
Dorothy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It would have puzzled Dorothy to say exactly why she had asked Tom Pinder to help her cull flowers.
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading For one thing Dorothy had had enough of Nehemiah Wimpenny, and wanted to be decently free of him for the rest of the day.
indicating exactness or preciseness
From this reading It would have puzzled Dorothy to say exactly why she had asked Tom Pinder to help her cull flowers.
plural of “flower” — a plant cultivated for its blooms or blossoms
From this reading It would have puzzled Dorothy to say exactly why she had asked Tom Pinder to help her cull flowers.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading IT is one thing for a maiden to invite a young man to a garden, and quite another to know what to do with him when she gets him there.
grant freedom to; free from confinement
From this reading For one thing Dorothy had had enough of Nehemiah Wimpenny, and wanted to be decently free of him for the rest of the day.
the Romance language spoken in France and in countries colonized by France
From this reading She had wearied of the mild pleasure of poking fun at his French.
activities that are enjoyable or amusing
From this reading She had wearied of the mild pleasure of poking fun at his French.
a plot of ground where plants are cultivated
From this reading IT is one thing for a maiden to invite a young man to a garden, and quite another to know what to do with him when she gets him there.
a group of persons together in one place
From this reading The ostensible pretext given had been the gathering of a bouquet for Lucy; but we all know that a woman's ostensible pretexts are--well, ostensible pretexts.
plural of “get” — a return on a shot that seemed impossible to reach and would normally have resulted in a point for the opponent
From this reading IT is one thing for a maiden to invite a young man to a garden, and quite another to know what to do with him when she gets him there.
givenadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪvən/
acknowledged as a supposition
From this reading The ostensible pretext given had been the gathering of a bouquet for Lucy; but we all know that a woman's ostensible pretexts are--well, ostensible pretexts.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading It would have puzzled Dorothy to say exactly why she had asked Tom Pinder to help her cull flowers.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading It would have puzzled Dorothy to say exactly why she had asked Tom Pinder to help her cull flowers.
give help or assistance; be of service
From this reading It would have puzzled Dorothy to say exactly why she had asked Tom Pinder to help her cull flowers.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading It would have puzzled Dorothy to say exactly why she had asked Tom Pinder to help her cull flowers.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading IT is one thing for a maiden to invite a young man to a garden, and quite another to know what to do with him when she gets him there.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading She had wearied of the mild pleasure of poking fun at his French.
inviteverbUS /ˌɪnˈvaɪt/
increase the likelihood of
From this reading IT is one thing for a maiden to invite a young man to a garden, and quite another to know what to do with him when she gets him there.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading IT is one thing for a maiden to invite a young man to a garden, and quite another to know what to do with him when she gets him there.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading IT is one thing for a maiden to invite a young man to a garden, and quite another to know what to do with him when she gets him there.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading IT is one thing for a maiden to invite a young man to a garden, and quite another to know what to do with him when she gets him there.
incomplete skeleton of female found in eastern Ethiopia in 1974
From this reading The ostensible pretext given had been the gathering of a bouquet for Lucy; but we all know that a woman's ostensible pretexts are--well, ostensible pretexts.
an unmarried girl (especially a virgin)
From this reading IT is one thing for a maiden to invite a young man to a garden, and quite another to know what to do with him when she gets him there.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading IT is one thing for a maiden to invite a young man to a garden, and quite another to know what to do with him when she gets him there.
mildadjectiveUS /maɪld/
moderate in type or degree or effect or force; far from extreme
From this reading She had wearied of the mild pleasure of poking fun at his French.
NehemiahnounUS /ˌniːəˈmaɪə/
an Old Testament book telling how a Jewish official at the court of Artaxerxes I in 444 BC became a leader in rebuilding Jerusalem after the Babylonian Captivity
From this reading For one thing Dorothy had had enough of Nehemiah Wimpenny, and wanted to be decently free of him for the rest of the day.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The ostensible pretext given had been the gathering of a bouquet for Lucy; but we all know that a woman's ostensible pretexts are--well, ostensible pretexts.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading IT is one thing for a maiden to invite a young man to a garden, and quite another to know what to do with him when she gets him there.
ostensibleadjectiveUS /ɑːˈstensəbəl/
appearing as such but not necessarily so
From this reading The ostensible pretext given had been the gathering of a bouquet for Lucy; but we all know that a woman's ostensible pretexts are--well, ostensible pretexts.
Pinder
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It would have puzzled Dorothy to say exactly why she had asked Tom Pinder to help her cull flowers.
a fundamental feeling that is hard to define but that people desire to experience
From this reading She had wearied of the mild pleasure of poking fun at his French.
pokingnounUS /ˈpoʊkɪŋ/
a sharp hand gesture (resembling a blow)
From this reading She had wearied of the mild pleasure of poking fun at his French.
pretextnounUS /ˈpriːtekst/
something serving to conceal plans; a fictitious reason that is concocted in order to conceal the real reason
From this reading The ostensible pretext given had been the gathering of a bouquet for Lucy; but we all know that a woman's ostensible pretexts are--well, ostensible pretexts.
pretexts
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The ostensible pretext given had been the gathering of a bouquet for Lucy; but we all know that a woman's ostensible pretexts are--well, ostensible pretexts.
filled with bewilderment
From this reading It would have puzzled Dorothy to say exactly why she had asked Tom Pinder to help her cull flowers.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading IT is one thing for a maiden to invite a young man to a garden, and quite another to know what to do with him when she gets him there.
not move; be in a resting position
From this reading For one thing Dorothy had had enough of Nehemiah Wimpenny, and wanted to be decently free of him for the rest of the day.
express in words
From this reading It would have puzzled Dorothy to say exactly why she had asked Tom Pinder to help her cull flowers.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading IT is one thing for a maiden to invite a young man to a garden, and quite another to know what to do with him when she gets him there.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The ostensible pretext given had been the gathering of a bouquet for Lucy; but we all know that a woman's ostensible pretexts are--well, ostensible pretexts.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The ostensible pretext given had been the gathering of a bouquet for Lucy; but we all know that a woman's ostensible pretexts are--well, ostensible pretexts.
in or at that place or location
From this reading IT is one thing for a maiden to invite a young man to a garden, and quite another to know what to do with him when she gets him there.
a special situation
From this reading IT is one thing for a maiden to invite a young man to a garden, and quite another to know what to do with him when she gets him there.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading IT is one thing for a maiden to invite a young man to a garden, and quite another to know what to do with him when she gets him there.
male cat
From this reading It would have puzzled Dorothy to say exactly why she had asked Tom Pinder to help her cull flowers.
desired or wished for or sought
From this reading For one thing Dorothy had had enough of Nehemiah Wimpenny, and wanted to be decently free of him for the rest of the day.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading The ostensible pretext given had been the gathering of a bouquet for Lucy; but we all know that a woman's ostensible pretexts are--well, ostensible pretexts.
weariedadjectiveUS /ˈwɪrid/
exhausted
From this reading She had wearied of the mild pleasure of poking fun at his French.
(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 The ostensible pretext given had been the gathering of a bouquet for Lucy; but we all know that a woman's ostensible pretexts are--well, ostensible pretexts.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading IT is one thing for a maiden to invite a young man to a garden, and quite another to know what to do with him when she gets him there.
at the time that
From this reading IT is one thing for a maiden to invite a young man to a garden, and quite another to know what to do with him when she gets him there.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading It would have puzzled Dorothy to say exactly why she had asked Tom Pinder to help her cull flowers.
Wimpenny
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For one thing Dorothy had had enough of Nehemiah Wimpenny, and wanted to be decently free of him for the rest of the day.
in the company of; together with
From this reading IT is one thing for a maiden to invite a young man to a garden, and quite another to know what to do with him when she gets him there.
woman'snounUS /ˈwʊmənz/
possessive form of “woman” — an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading The ostensible pretext given had been the gathering of a bouquet for Lucy; but we all know that a woman's ostensible pretexts are--well, ostensible pretexts.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading It would have puzzled Dorothy to say exactly why she had asked Tom Pinder to help her cull flowers.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading IT is one thing for a maiden to invite a young man to a garden, and quite another to know what to do with him when she gets him there.
