used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading “I have taken a day off in honour of the great event,” said Randolph at the breakfast-table.
in the past
From this reading Randolph had proposed four times already, since his return from Europe, three weeks ago.
prior to a specified or implied time
From this reading Randolph had proposed four times already, since his return from Europe, three weeks ago.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Lee smiled sweetly, but one of her shoulders gave an impatient little jerk.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading She had tolerated the correspondence with Cecil Maundrell out of respect to the wishes of the dead; but she had long since permitted herself to hope that the ridiculous boy-and-girl engagement would die a natural death, and that there would be one change the less in her happy domestic life.
approvinglyadverbUS /əˈpruːvɪŋli/
in an approving manner
From this reading Mrs. Montgomery smiled approvingly.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading “I have taken a day off in honour of the great event,” said Randolph at the breakfast-table.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading She had tolerated the correspondence with Cecil Maundrell out of respect to the wishes of the dead; but she had long since permitted herself to hope that the ridiculous boy-and-girl engagement would die a natural death, and that there would be one change the less in her happy domestic life.
boy-and-girl
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She had tolerated the correspondence with Cecil Maundrell out of respect to the wishes of the dead; but she had long since permitted herself to hope that the ridiculous boy-and-girl engagement would die a natural death, and that there would be one change the less in her happy domestic life.
breakfast-table
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I have taken a day off in honour of the great event,” said Randolph at the breakfast-table.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Lee smiled sweetly, but one of her shoulders gave an impatient little jerk.
Cecil
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She had tolerated the correspondence with Cecil Maundrell out of respect to the wishes of the dead; but she had long since permitted herself to hope that the ridiculous boy-and-girl engagement would die a natural death, and that there would be one change the less in her happy domestic life.
cause to change; make different; cause a transformation
From this reading She had tolerated the correspondence with Cecil Maundrell out of respect to the wishes of the dead; but she had long since permitted herself to hope that the ridiculous boy-and-girl engagement would die a natural death, and that there would be one change the less in her happy domestic life.
correspondencenounUS /ˌkɔːrəˈspɑːndəns/
communication by the exchange of letters
From this reading She had tolerated the correspondence with Cecil Maundrell out of respect to the wishes of the dead; but she had long since permitted herself to hope that the ridiculous boy-and-girl engagement would die a natural death, and that there would be one change the less in her happy domestic life.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading “I have taken a day off in honour of the great event,” said Randolph at the breakfast-table.
no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life
From this reading She had tolerated the correspondence with Cecil Maundrell out of respect to the wishes of the dead; but she had long since permitted herself to hope that the ridiculous boy-and-girl engagement would die a natural death, and that there would be one change the less in her happy domestic life.
the event of dying or departure from life
From this reading She had tolerated the correspondence with Cecil Maundrell out of respect to the wishes of the dead; but she had long since permitted herself to hope that the ridiculous boy-and-girl engagement would die a natural death, and that there would be one change the less in her happy domestic life.
pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life
From this reading She had tolerated the correspondence with Cecil Maundrell out of respect to the wishes of the dead; but she had long since permitted herself to hope that the ridiculous boy-and-girl engagement would die a natural death, and that there would be one change the less in her happy domestic life.
of concern to or concerning the internal affairs of a nation
From this reading She had tolerated the correspondence with Cecil Maundrell out of respect to the wishes of the dead; but she had long since permitted herself to hope that the ridiculous boy-and-girl engagement would die a natural death, and that there would be one change the less in her happy domestic life.
a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war
From this reading She had tolerated the correspondence with Cecil Maundrell out of respect to the wishes of the dead; but she had long since permitted herself to hope that the ridiculous boy-and-girl engagement would die a natural death, and that there would be one change the less in her happy domestic life.
the 2nd smallest continent (actually a vast peninsula of Eurasia); the British use “Europe” to refer to all of the continent except the British Isles
From this reading Randolph had proposed four times already, since his return from Europe, three weeks ago.
something that happens at a given place and time
From this reading “I have taken a day off in honour of the great event,” said Randolph at the breakfast-table.
the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one
From this reading Randolph had proposed four times already, since his return from Europe, three weeks ago.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Randolph had proposed four times already, since his return from Europe, three weeks ago.
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading Lee smiled sweetly, but one of her shoulders gave an impatient little jerk.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading “I have taken a day off in honour of the great event,” said Randolph at the breakfast-table.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Randolph had proposed four times already, since his return from Europe, three weeks ago.
enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure
From this reading She had tolerated the correspondence with Cecil Maundrell out of respect to the wishes of the dead; but she had long since permitted herself to hope that the ridiculous boy-and-girl engagement would die a natural death, and that there would be one change the less in her happy domestic life.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading “I have taken a day off in honour of the great event,” said Randolph at the breakfast-table.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Lee smiled sweetly, but one of her shoulders gave an impatient little jerk.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading She had tolerated the correspondence with Cecil Maundrell out of respect to the wishes of the dead; but she had long since permitted herself to hope that the ridiculous boy-and-girl engagement would die a natural death, and that there would be one change the less in her happy domestic life.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Randolph had proposed four times already, since his return from Europe, three weeks ago.
the state of being honored
From this reading “I have taken a day off in honour of the great event,” said Randolph at the breakfast-table.
a specific instance of feeling hopeful
From this reading She had tolerated the correspondence with Cecil Maundrell out of respect to the wishes of the dead; but she had long since permitted herself to hope that the ridiculous boy-and-girl engagement would die a natural death, and that there would be one change the less in her happy domestic life.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “I have taken a day off in honour of the great event,” said Randolph at the breakfast-table.
restless or short-tempered under delay or opposition
From this reading Lee smiled sweetly, but one of her shoulders gave an impatient little jerk.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading “I have taken a day off in honour of the great event,” said Randolph at the breakfast-table.
jerkverbUS /dʒɜːrk/
pull, or move with a sudden movement
From this reading Lee smiled sweetly, but one of her shoulders gave an impatient little jerk.
United States filmmaker whose works explore the richness of black culture in America (born in 1957)
From this reading Lee smiled sweetly, but one of her shoulders gave an impatient little jerk.
used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs
From this reading She had tolerated the correspondence with Cecil Maundrell out of respect to the wishes of the dead; but she had long since permitted herself to hope that the ridiculous boy-and-girl engagement would die a natural death, and that there would be one change the less in her happy domestic life.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading She had tolerated the correspondence with Cecil Maundrell out of respect to the wishes of the dead; but she had long since permitted herself to hope that the ridiculous boy-and-girl engagement would die a natural death, and that there would be one change the less in her happy domestic life.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Lee smiled sweetly, but one of her shoulders gave an impatient little jerk.
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 She had tolerated the correspondence with Cecil Maundrell out of respect to the wishes of the dead; but she had long since permitted herself to hope that the ridiculous boy-and-girl engagement would die a natural death, and that there would be one change the less in her happy domestic life.
Maundrell
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She had tolerated the correspondence with Cecil Maundrell out of respect to the wishes of the dead; but she had long since permitted herself to hope that the ridiculous boy-and-girl engagement would die a natural death, and that there would be one change the less in her happy domestic life.
MontgomerynounUS /mɑːntˈɡʌmri/
Canadian novelist (1874-1942)
From this reading Mrs. Montgomery smiled approvingly.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading Mrs. Montgomery smiled approvingly.
in accordance with nature; relating to or concerning nature
From this reading She had tolerated the correspondence with Cecil Maundrell out of respect to the wishes of the dead; but she had long since permitted herself to hope that the ridiculous boy-and-girl engagement would die a natural death, and that there would be one change the less in her happy domestic life.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “I have taken a day off in honour of the great event,” said Randolph at the breakfast-table.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading “I have taken a day off in honour of the great event,” said Randolph at the breakfast-table.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Lee smiled sweetly, but one of her shoulders gave an impatient little jerk.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading She had tolerated the correspondence with Cecil Maundrell out of respect to the wishes of the dead; but she had long since permitted herself to hope that the ridiculous boy-and-girl engagement would die a natural death, and that there would be one change the less in her happy domestic life.
inflected form of “permit” — consent to, give permission
From this reading She had tolerated the correspondence with Cecil Maundrell out of respect to the wishes of the dead; but she had long since permitted herself to hope that the ridiculous boy-and-girl engagement would die a natural death, and that there would be one change the less in her happy domestic life.
past form of “propose” — make a proposal, declare a plan for something
From this reading Randolph had proposed four times already, since his return from Europe, three weeks ago.
Randolph
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I have taken a day off in honour of the great event,” said Randolph at the breakfast-table.
(usually preceded by “in”) a detail or point
From this reading She had tolerated the correspondence with Cecil Maundrell out of respect to the wishes of the dead; but she had long since permitted herself to hope that the ridiculous boy-and-girl engagement would die a natural death, and that there would be one change the less in her happy domestic life.
go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading Randolph had proposed four times already, since his return from Europe, three weeks ago.
inspiring scornful pity
From this reading She had tolerated the correspondence with Cecil Maundrell out of respect to the wishes of the dead; but she had long since permitted herself to hope that the ridiculous boy-and-girl engagement would die a natural death, and that there would be one change the less in her happy domestic life.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “I have taken a day off in honour of the great event,” said Randolph at the breakfast-table.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She had tolerated the correspondence with Cecil Maundrell out of respect to the wishes of the dead; but she had long since permitted herself to hope that the ridiculous boy-and-girl engagement would die a natural death, and that there would be one change the less in her happy domestic life.
plural of “shoulder” — the part of the body between the neck and the upper arm
From this reading Lee smiled sweetly, but one of her shoulders gave an impatient little jerk.
sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/
from a time in the past until now
From this reading Randolph had proposed four times already, since his return from Europe, three weeks ago.
past form of “smile” — change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure
From this reading Lee smiled sweetly, but one of her shoulders gave an impatient little jerk.
sweetlyadverbUS /ˈswiːtli/
in an affectionate or loving manner (“sweet” is sometimes a poetic or informal variant of “sweetly”)
From this reading Lee smiled sweetly, but one of her shoulders gave an impatient little jerk.
takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading “I have taken a day off in honour of the great event,” said Randolph at the breakfast-table.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading She had tolerated the correspondence with Cecil Maundrell out of respect to the wishes of the dead; but she had long since permitted herself to hope that the ridiculous boy-and-girl engagement would die a natural death, and that there would be one change the less in her happy domestic life.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “I have taken a day off in honour of the great event,” said Randolph at the breakfast-table.
in or at that place or location
From this reading She had tolerated the correspondence with Cecil Maundrell out of respect to the wishes of the dead; but she had long since permitted herself to hope that the ridiculous boy-and-girl engagement would die a natural death, and that there would be one change the less in her happy domestic life.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading Randolph had proposed four times already, since his return from Europe, three weeks ago.
a more or less definite period of time now or previously present
From this reading Randolph had proposed four times already, since his return from Europe, three weeks ago.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading She had tolerated the correspondence with Cecil Maundrell out of respect to the wishes of the dead; but she had long since permitted herself to hope that the ridiculous boy-and-girl engagement would die a natural death, and that there would be one change the less in her happy domestic life.
toleratedverbUS /ˈtɑːləreɪtɪd/
past form of “tolerate” — put up with something or somebody unpleasant
From this reading She had tolerated the correspondence with Cecil Maundrell out of respect to the wishes of the dead; but she had long since permitted herself to hope that the ridiculous boy-and-girl engagement would die a natural death, and that there would be one change the less in her happy domestic life.
plural of “week” — any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading Randolph had proposed four times already, since his return from Europe, three weeks ago.
plural of “wish” — a specific feeling of desire
From this reading She had tolerated the correspondence with Cecil Maundrell out of respect to the wishes of the dead; but she had long since permitted herself to hope that the ridiculous boy-and-girl engagement would die a natural death, and that there would be one change the less in her happy domestic life.
in the company of; together with
From this reading She had tolerated the correspondence with Cecil Maundrell out of respect to the wishes of the dead; but she had long since permitted herself to hope that the ridiculous boy-and-girl engagement would die a natural death, and that there would be one change the less in her happy domestic life.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading She had tolerated the correspondence with Cecil Maundrell out of respect to the wishes of the dead; but she had long since permitted herself to hope that the ridiculous boy-and-girl engagement would die a natural death, and that there would be one change the less in her happy domestic life.
