used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading For a moment Mona was too much astonished to even try to account for such a strange proceeding.
a record or narrative description of past events
From this reading For a moment Mona was too much astonished to even try to account for such a strange proceeding.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Then it occurred to her that Mrs. Montague must have returned before she was expected, let herself into the house with her latch-key, and coming quietly up stairs, had been taken by surprise to find her in her room, when she had supposed her to be safely out of her way in Havana, and so had made a prisoner of her by locking her in the boudoir.
appalledadjectiveUS /əˈpɔːld/
struck with fear, dread, or consternation
From this reading At first Mona was somewhat appalled by her situation; then a calm smile of scorn for her enemy wreathed her lips, for she was sure that Ray would soon return.
filled with the emotional impact of overwhelming surprise or shock
From this reading For a moment Mona was too much astonished to even try to account for such a strange proceeding.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At first Mona was somewhat appalled by her situation; then a calm smile of scorn for her enemy wreathed her lips, for she was sure that Ray would soon return.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Then it occurred to her that Mrs. Montague must have returned before she was expected, let herself into the house with her latch-key, and coming quietly up stairs, had been taken by surprise to find her in her room, when she had supposed her to be safely out of her way in Havana, and so had made a prisoner of her by locking her in the boudoir.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Then it occurred to her that Mrs. Montague must have returned before she was expected, let herself into the house with her latch-key, and coming quietly up stairs, had been taken by surprise to find her in her room, when she had supposed her to be safely out of her way in Havana, and so had made a prisoner of her by locking her in the boudoir.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Then it occurred to her that Mrs. Montague must have returned before she was expected, let herself into the house with her latch-key, and coming quietly up stairs, had been taken by surprise to find her in her room, when she had supposed her to be safely out of her way in Havana, and so had made a prisoner of her by locking her in the boudoir.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading THE WOMAN IN BLACK.
boudoirnounUS /ˈbuːdɔɪr/
a lady's bedroom or private sitting room
From this reading Then it occurred to her that Mrs. Montague must have returned before she was expected, let herself into the house with her latch-key, and coming quietly up stairs, had been taken by surprise to find her in her room, when she had supposed her to be safely out of her way in Havana, and so had made a prisoner of her by locking her in the boudoir.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Then it occurred to her that Mrs. Montague must have returned before she was expected, let herself into the house with her latch-key, and coming quietly up stairs, had been taken by surprise to find her in her room, when she had supposed her to be safely out of her way in Havana, and so had made a prisoner of her by locking her in the boudoir.
make calm or still
From this reading At first Mona was somewhat appalled by her situation; then a calm smile of scorn for her enemy wreathed her lips, for she was sure that Ray would soon return.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading Then it occurred to her that Mrs. Montague must have returned before she was expected, let herself into the house with her latch-key, and coming quietly up stairs, had been taken by surprise to find her in her room, when she had supposed her to be safely out of her way in Havana, and so had made a prisoner of her by locking her in the boudoir.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading She had only to watch for him at the window, inform him of what had occurred the moment he drove to the door, and he would have her immediately released.
a group of animals (a herd or flock) moving together
From this reading She had only to watch for him at the window, inform him of what had occurred the moment he drove to the door, and he would have her immediately released.
an opposing military force
From this reading At first Mona was somewhat appalled by her situation; then a calm smile of scorn for her enemy wreathed her lips, for she was sure that Ray would soon return.
divisible by two
From this reading For a moment Mona was too much astonished to even try to account for such a strange proceeding.
considered likely or probable to happen or arrive
From this reading Then it occurred to her that Mrs. Montague must have returned before she was expected, let herself into the house with her latch-key, and coming quietly up stairs, had been taken by surprise to find her in her room, when she had supposed her to be safely out of her way in Havana, and so had made a prisoner of her by locking her in the boudoir.
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading Then it occurred to her that Mrs. Montague must have returned before she was expected, let herself into the house with her latch-key, and coming quietly up stairs, had been taken by surprise to find her in her room, when she had supposed her to be safely out of her way in Havana, and so had made a prisoner of her by locking her in the boudoir.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading At first Mona was somewhat appalled by her situation; then a calm smile of scorn for her enemy wreathed her lips, for she was sure that Ray would soon return.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For a moment Mona was too much astonished to even try to account for such a strange proceeding.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Then it occurred to her that Mrs. Montague must have returned before she was expected, let herself into the house with her latch-key, and coming quietly up stairs, had been taken by surprise to find her in her room, when she had supposed her to be safely out of her way in Havana, and so had made a prisoner of her by locking her in the boudoir.
HavananounUS /həˈvænə/
the capital and largest city of Cuba; located in western Cuba; one of the oldest cities in the Americas
From this reading Then it occurred to her that Mrs. Montague must have returned before she was expected, let herself into the house with her latch-key, and coming quietly up stairs, had been taken by surprise to find her in her room, when she had supposed her to be safely out of her way in Havana, and so had made a prisoner of her by locking her in the boudoir.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Then it occurred to her that Mrs. Montague must have returned before she was expected, let herself into the house with her latch-key, and coming quietly up stairs, had been taken by surprise to find her in her room, when she had supposed her to be safely out of her way in Havana, and so had made a prisoner of her by locking her in the boudoir.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She had only to watch for him at the window, inform him of what had occurred the moment he drove to the door, and he would have her immediately released.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Then it occurred to her that Mrs. Montague must have returned before she was expected, let herself into the house with her latch-key, and coming quietly up stairs, had been taken by surprise to find her in her room, when she had supposed her to be safely out of her way in Havana, and so had made a prisoner of her by locking her in the boudoir.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading Then it occurred to her that Mrs. Montague must have returned before she was expected, let herself into the house with her latch-key, and coming quietly up stairs, had been taken by surprise to find her in her room, when she had supposed her to be safely out of her way in Havana, and so had made a prisoner of her by locking her in the boudoir.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading She had only to watch for him at the window, inform him of what had occurred the moment he drove to the door, and he would have her immediately released.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading Then it occurred to her that Mrs. Montague must have returned before she was expected, let herself into the house with her latch-key, and coming quietly up stairs, had been taken by surprise to find her in her room, when she had supposed her to be safely out of her way in Havana, and so had made a prisoner of her by locking her in the boudoir.
without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening
From this reading She had only to watch for him at the window, inform him of what had occurred the moment he drove to the door, and he would have her immediately released.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THE WOMAN IN BLACK.
informverbUS /ˌɪnˈfɔːrm/
impart knowledge of some fact, state of affairs, or event to
From this reading She had only to watch for him at the window, inform him of what had occurred the moment he drove to the door, and he would have her immediately released.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Then it occurred to her that Mrs. Montague must have returned before she was expected, let herself into the house with her latch-key, and coming quietly up stairs, had been taken by surprise to find her in her room, when she had supposed her to be safely out of her way in Havana, and so had made a prisoner of her by locking her in the boudoir.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Then it occurred to her that Mrs. Montague must have returned before she was expected, let herself into the house with her latch-key, and coming quietly up stairs, had been taken by surprise to find her in her room, when she had supposed her to be safely out of her way in Havana, and so had made a prisoner of her by locking her in the boudoir.
latch-key
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then it occurred to her that Mrs. Montague must have returned before she was expected, let herself into the house with her latch-key, and coming quietly up stairs, had been taken by surprise to find her in her room, when she had supposed her to be safely out of her way in Havana, and so had made a prisoner of her by locking her in the boudoir.
letauxiliary verbUS /let/
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading Then it occurred to her that Mrs. Montague must have returned before she was expected, let herself into the house with her latch-key, and coming quietly up stairs, had been taken by surprise to find her in her room, when she had supposed her to be safely out of her way in Havana, and so had made a prisoner of her by locking her in the boudoir.
plural of “lip” — either of two fleshy folds of tissue that surround the mouth and play a role in speaking
From this reading At first Mona was somewhat appalled by her situation; then a calm smile of scorn for her enemy wreathed her lips, for she was sure that Ray would soon return.
lockingnounUS /ˈlɑːkɪŋ/
the act of locking something up to protect it
From this reading Then it occurred to her that Mrs. Montague must have returned before she was expected, let herself into the house with her latch-key, and coming quietly up stairs, had been taken by surprise to find her in her room, when she had supposed her to be safely out of her way in Havana, and so had made a prisoner of her by locking her in the boudoir.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading Then it occurred to her that Mrs. Montague must have returned before she was expected, let herself into the house with her latch-key, and coming quietly up stairs, had been taken by surprise to find her in her room, when she had supposed her to be safely out of her way in Havana, and so had made a prisoner of her by locking her in the boudoir.
a particular point in time
From this reading For a moment Mona was too much astonished to even try to account for such a strange proceeding.
MonanounUS /ˈmoʊnə/
an island to the northwest of Wales
From this reading For a moment Mona was too much astonished to even try to account for such a strange proceeding.
Montague
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then it occurred to her that Mrs. Montague must have returned before she was expected, let herself into the house with her latch-key, and coming quietly up stairs, had been taken by surprise to find her in her room, when she had supposed her to be safely out of her way in Havana, and so had made a prisoner of her by locking her in the boudoir.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading Then it occurred to her that Mrs. Montague must have returned before she was expected, let herself into the house with her latch-key, and coming quietly up stairs, had been taken by surprise to find her in her room, when she had supposed her to be safely out of her way in Havana, and so had made a prisoner of her by locking her in the boudoir.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading For a moment Mona was too much astonished to even try to account for such a strange proceeding.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading Then it occurred to her that Mrs. Montague must have returned before she was expected, let herself into the house with her latch-key, and coming quietly up stairs, had been taken by surprise to find her in her room, when she had supposed her to be safely out of her way in Havana, and so had made a prisoner of her by locking her in the boudoir.
inflected form of “occur” — come to pass
From this reading Then it occurred to her that Mrs. Montague must have returned before she was expected, let herself into the house with her latch-key, and coming quietly up stairs, had been taken by surprise to find her in her room, when she had supposed her to be safely out of her way in Havana, and so had made a prisoner of her by locking her in the boudoir.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Then it occurred to her that Mrs. Montague must have returned before she was expected, let herself into the house with her latch-key, and coming quietly up stairs, had been taken by surprise to find her in her room, when she had supposed her to be safely out of her way in Havana, and so had made a prisoner of her by locking her in the boudoir.
and nothing more
From this reading She had only to watch for him at the window, inform him of what had occurred the moment he drove to the door, and he would have her immediately released.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Then it occurred to her that Mrs. Montague must have returned before she was expected, let herself into the house with her latch-key, and coming quietly up stairs, had been taken by surprise to find her in her room, when she had supposed her to be safely out of her way in Havana, and so had made a prisoner of her by locking her in the boudoir.
a person who is confined; especially a prisoner of war
From this reading Then it occurred to her that Mrs. Montague must have returned before she was expected, let herself into the house with her latch-key, and coming quietly up stairs, had been taken by surprise to find her in her room, when she had supposed her to be safely out of her way in Havana, and so had made a prisoner of her by locking her in the boudoir.
proceedingnounUS /prəˈsiːdɪŋ/
(law) the institution of a sequence of steps by which legal judgments are invoked
From this reading For a moment Mona was too much astonished to even try to account for such a strange proceeding.
with low volume
From this reading Then it occurred to her that Mrs. Montague must have returned before she was expected, let herself into the house with her latch-key, and coming quietly up stairs, had been taken by surprise to find her in her room, when she had supposed her to be safely out of her way in Havana, and so had made a prisoner of her by locking her in the boudoir.
RaynounUS /reɪ/
a column of light (as from a beacon)
From this reading At first Mona was somewhat appalled by her situation; then a calm smile of scorn for her enemy wreathed her lips, for she was sure that Ray would soon return.
releasedverbUS /riˈliːst/
past form of “release” — release, as from one's grip
From this reading She had only to watch for him at the window, inform him of what had occurred the moment he drove to the door, and he would have her immediately released.
go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading At first Mona was somewhat appalled by her situation; then a calm smile of scorn for her enemy wreathed her lips, for she was sure that Ray would soon return.
past form of “return” — go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading Then it occurred to her that Mrs. Montague must have returned before she was expected, let herself into the house with her latch-key, and coming quietly up stairs, had been taken by surprise to find her in her room, when she had supposed her to be safely out of her way in Havana, and so had made a prisoner of her by locking her in the boudoir.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading Then it occurred to her that Mrs. Montague must have returned before she was expected, let herself into the house with her latch-key, and coming quietly up stairs, had been taken by surprise to find her in her room, when she had supposed her to be safely out of her way in Havana, and so had made a prisoner of her by locking her in the boudoir.
with safety; in a safe manner
From this reading Then it occurred to her that Mrs. Montague must have returned before she was expected, let herself into the house with her latch-key, and coming quietly up stairs, had been taken by surprise to find her in her room, when she had supposed her to be safely out of her way in Havana, and so had made a prisoner of her by locking her in the boudoir.
lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike
From this reading At first Mona was somewhat appalled by her situation; then a calm smile of scorn for her enemy wreathed her lips, for she was sure that Ray would soon return.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Then it occurred to her that Mrs. Montague must have returned before she was expected, let herself into the house with her latch-key, and coming quietly up stairs, had been taken by surprise to find her in her room, when she had supposed her to be safely out of her way in Havana, and so had made a prisoner of her by locking her in the boudoir.
the general state of things; the combination of circumstances at a given time
From this reading At first Mona was somewhat appalled by her situation; then a calm smile of scorn for her enemy wreathed her lips, for she was sure that Ray would soon return.
change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure
From this reading At first Mona was somewhat appalled by her situation; then a calm smile of scorn for her enemy wreathed her lips, for she was sure that Ray would soon return.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Then it occurred to her that Mrs. Montague must have returned before she was expected, let herself into the house with her latch-key, and coming quietly up stairs, had been taken by surprise to find her in her room, when she had supposed her to be safely out of her way in Havana, and so had made a prisoner of her by locking her in the boudoir.
to a small degree or extent
From this reading At first Mona was somewhat appalled by her situation; then a calm smile of scorn for her enemy wreathed her lips, for she was sure that Ray would soon return.
in the near future
From this reading At first Mona was somewhat appalled by her situation; then a calm smile of scorn for her enemy wreathed her lips, for she was sure that Ray would soon return.
a flight of stairs or a flight of steps
From this reading Then it occurred to her that Mrs. Montague must have returned before she was expected, let herself into the house with her latch-key, and coming quietly up stairs, had been taken by surprise to find her in her room, when she had supposed her to be safely out of her way in Havana, and so had made a prisoner of her by locking her in the boudoir.
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading For a moment Mona was too much astonished to even try to account for such a strange proceeding.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading For a moment Mona was too much astonished to even try to account for such a strange proceeding.
required or under orders
From this reading Then it occurred to her that Mrs. Montague must have returned before she was expected, let herself into the house with her latch-key, and coming quietly up stairs, had been taken by surprise to find her in her room, when she had supposed her to be safely out of her way in Havana, and so had made a prisoner of her by locking her in the boudoir.
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading At first Mona was somewhat appalled by her situation; then a calm smile of scorn for her enemy wreathed her lips, for she was sure that Ray would soon return.
the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you
From this reading Then it occurred to her that Mrs. Montague must have returned before she was expected, let herself into the house with her latch-key, and coming quietly up stairs, had been taken by surprise to find her in her room, when she had supposed her to be safely out of her way in Havana, and so had made a prisoner of her by locking her in the boudoir.
takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading Then it occurred to her that Mrs. Montague must have returned before she was expected, let herself into the house with her latch-key, and coming quietly up stairs, had been taken by surprise to find her in her room, when she had supposed her to be safely out of her way in Havana, and so had made a prisoner of her by locking her in the boudoir.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Then it occurred to her that Mrs. Montague must have returned before she was expected, let herself into the house with her latch-key, and coming quietly up stairs, had been taken by surprise to find her in her room, when she had supposed her to be safely out of her way in Havana, and so had made a prisoner of her by locking her in the boudoir.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE WOMAN IN BLACK.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then it occurred to her that Mrs. Montague must have returned before she was expected, let herself into the house with her latch-key, and coming quietly up stairs, had been taken by surprise to find her in her room, when she had supposed her to be safely out of her way in Havana, and so had made a prisoner of her by locking her in the boudoir.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading For a moment Mona was too much astonished to even try to account for such a strange proceeding.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading For a moment Mona was too much astonished to even try to account for such a strange proceeding.
make an effort or attempt
From this reading For a moment Mona was too much astonished to even try to account for such a strange proceeding.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Then it occurred to her that Mrs. Montague must have returned before she was expected, let herself into the house with her latch-key, and coming quietly up stairs, had been taken by surprise to find her in her room, when she had supposed her to be safely out of her way in Havana, and so had made a prisoner of her by locking her in the boudoir.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading For a moment Mona was too much astonished to even try to account for such a strange proceeding.
look attentively
From this reading She had only to watch for him at the window, inform him of what had occurred the moment he drove to the door, and he would have her immediately released.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading Then it occurred to her that Mrs. Montague must have returned before she was expected, let herself into the house with her latch-key, and coming quietly up stairs, had been taken by surprise to find her in her room, when she had supposed her to be safely out of her way in Havana, and so had made a prisoner of her by locking her in the boudoir.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading She had only to watch for him at the window, inform him of what had occurred the moment he drove to the door, and he would have her immediately released.
at the time that
From this reading Then it occurred to her that Mrs. Montague must have returned before she was expected, let herself into the house with her latch-key, and coming quietly up stairs, had been taken by surprise to find her in her room, when she had supposed her to be safely out of her way in Havana, and so had made a prisoner of her by locking her in the boudoir.
a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air
From this reading She had only to watch for him at the window, inform him of what had occurred the moment he drove to the door, and he would have her immediately released.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Then it occurred to her that Mrs. Montague must have returned before she was expected, let herself into the house with her latch-key, and coming quietly up stairs, had been taken by surprise to find her in her room, when she had supposed her to be safely out of her way in Havana, and so had made a prisoner of her by locking her in the boudoir.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading THE WOMAN IN BLACK.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading At first Mona was somewhat appalled by her situation; then a calm smile of scorn for her enemy wreathed her lips, for she was sure that Ray would soon return.
wreathed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At first Mona was somewhat appalled by her situation; then a calm smile of scorn for her enemy wreathed her lips, for she was sure that Ray would soon return.
