used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading "Lauraine is very much changed," laments Mrs. Douglas to a select coterie of friends, on one of those chilly spring afternoons when they have dropped in to sip souchong and talk scandal in her pretty drawing-room.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading There are heaps of women scattered about--there are a few men.
afternoonsnounUS /ˌæftərˈnuːnz/
plural of “afternoon” — the part of the day between noon and evening
From this reading "Lauraine is very much changed," laments Mrs. Douglas to a select coterie of friends, on one of those chilly spring afternoons when they have dropped in to sip souchong and talk scandal in her pretty drawing-room.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading There is a pleasant fragrance of tea, and the scents of flowers fill the air, and the babble of many voices sounds cheerfully amidst it all.
(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 There is a pleasant fragrance of tea, and the scents of flowers fill the air, and the babble of many voices sounds cheerfully amidst it all.
amidstprepositionUS /əˈmɪdst/
in the middle of; surrounded by
From this reading There is a pleasant fragrance of tea, and the scents of flowers fill the air, and the babble of many voices sounds cheerfully amidst it all.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "Lauraine is very much changed," laments Mrs. Douglas to a select coterie of friends, on one of those chilly spring afternoons when they have dropped in to sip souchong and talk scandal in her pretty drawing-room.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading There are heaps of women scattered about--there are a few men.
babbleverbUS /ˈbæbəl/
utter meaningless sounds, like a baby, or utter in an incoherent way
From this reading There is a pleasant fragrance of tea, and the scents of flowers fill the air, and the babble of many voices sounds cheerfully amidst it all.
made or become different in nature or form
From this reading "Lauraine is very much changed," laments Mrs. Douglas to a select coterie of friends, on one of those chilly spring afternoons when they have dropped in to sip souchong and talk scandal in her pretty drawing-room.
cheerfullyadverbUS /ˈtʃɪrfəli/
in a cheerful manner
From this reading There is a pleasant fragrance of tea, and the scents of flowers fill the air, and the babble of many voices sounds cheerfully amidst it all.
chillyadjectiveUS /ˈtʃɪli/
not characterized by emotion
From this reading "Lauraine is very much changed," laments Mrs. Douglas to a select coterie of friends, on one of those chilly spring afternoons when they have dropped in to sip souchong and talk scandal in her pretty drawing-room.
coterienounUS /ˈkoʊtəri/
an exclusive circle of people with a common purpose
From this reading "Lauraine is very much changed," laments Mrs. Douglas to a select coterie of friends, on one of those chilly spring afternoons when they have dropped in to sip souchong and talk scandal in her pretty drawing-room.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading It is her "day."
DouglasnounUS /ˈdʌɡləs/
United States politician who proposed that individual territories be allowed to decide whether they would have slavery; he engaged in a famous series of debates with Abraham Lincoln (1813-1861)
From this reading "Lauraine is very much changed," laments Mrs. Douglas to a select coterie of friends, on one of those chilly spring afternoons when they have dropped in to sip souchong and talk scandal in her pretty drawing-room.
drawing-room
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Lauraine is very much changed," laments Mrs. Douglas to a select coterie of friends, on one of those chilly spring afternoons when they have dropped in to sip souchong and talk scandal in her pretty drawing-room.
inflected form of “drop” — let fall to the ground
From this reading "Lauraine is very much changed," laments Mrs. Douglas to a select coterie of friends, on one of those chilly spring afternoons when they have dropped in to sip souchong and talk scandal in her pretty drawing-room.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading There are heaps of women scattered about--there are a few men.
make full, also in a metaphorical sense
From this reading There is a pleasant fragrance of tea, and the scents of flowers fill the air, and the babble of many voices sounds cheerfully amidst it all.
plural of “flower” — a plant cultivated for its blooms or blossoms
From this reading There is a pleasant fragrance of tea, and the scents of flowers fill the air, and the babble of many voices sounds cheerfully amidst it all.
fragrancenounUS /ˈfreɪɡrəns/
a distinctive odor that is pleasant
From this reading There is a pleasant fragrance of tea, and the scents of flowers fill the air, and the babble of many voices sounds cheerfully amidst it all.
plural of “friend” — a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading "Lauraine is very much changed," laments Mrs. Douglas to a select coterie of friends, on one of those chilly spring afternoons when they have dropped in to sip souchong and talk scandal in her pretty drawing-room.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "Lauraine is very much changed," laments Mrs. Douglas to a select coterie of friends, on one of those chilly spring afternoons when they have dropped in to sip souchong and talk scandal in her pretty drawing-room.
heapsnounUS /hiːps/
a large number or amount
From this reading There are heaps of women scattered about--there are a few men.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading "Lauraine is very much changed," laments Mrs. Douglas to a select coterie of friends, on one of those chilly spring afternoons when they have dropped in to sip souchong and talk scandal in her pretty drawing-room.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "Lauraine is very much changed," laments Mrs. Douglas to a select coterie of friends, on one of those chilly spring afternoons when they have dropped in to sip souchong and talk scandal in her pretty drawing-room.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Lauraine is very much changed," laments Mrs. Douglas to a select coterie of friends, on one of those chilly spring afternoons when they have dropped in to sip souchong and talk scandal in her pretty drawing-room.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It is her "day."
lamentsnounUS /ləˈments/
plural of “lament” — a cry of sorrow and grief
From this reading "Lauraine is very much changed," laments Mrs. Douglas to a select coterie of friends, on one of those chilly spring afternoons when they have dropped in to sip souchong and talk scandal in her pretty drawing-room.
Lauraine
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Lauraine is very much changed," laments Mrs. Douglas to a select coterie of friends, on one of those chilly spring afternoons when they have dropped in to sip souchong and talk scandal in her pretty drawing-room.
plural of “light” — (physics) electromagnetic radiation that can produce a visual sensation
From this reading The lights are subdued.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading There is a pleasant fragrance of tea, and the scents of flowers fill the air, and the babble of many voices sounds cheerfully amidst it all.
the force of workers available
From this reading There are heaps of women scattered about--there are a few men.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading "Lauraine is very much changed," laments Mrs. Douglas to a select coterie of friends, on one of those chilly spring afternoons when they have dropped in to sip souchong and talk scandal in her pretty drawing-room.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading "Lauraine is very much changed," laments Mrs. Douglas to a select coterie of friends, on one of those chilly spring afternoons when they have dropped in to sip souchong and talk scandal in her pretty drawing-room.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "Lauraine is very much changed," laments Mrs. Douglas to a select coterie of friends, on one of those chilly spring afternoons when they have dropped in to sip souchong and talk scandal in her pretty drawing-room.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading "Lauraine is very much changed," laments Mrs. Douglas to a select coterie of friends, on one of those chilly spring afternoons when they have dropped in to sip souchong and talk scandal in her pretty drawing-room.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading "Lauraine is very much changed," laments Mrs. Douglas to a select coterie of friends, on one of those chilly spring afternoons when they have dropped in to sip souchong and talk scandal in her pretty drawing-room.
affording pleasure; being in harmony with your taste or likings
From this reading There is a pleasant fragrance of tea, and the scents of flowers fill the air, and the babble of many voices sounds cheerfully amidst it all.
pleasing by delicacy or grace; not imposing
From this reading "Lauraine is very much changed," laments Mrs. Douglas to a select coterie of friends, on one of those chilly spring afternoons when they have dropped in to sip souchong and talk scandal in her pretty drawing-room.
scandalnounUS /ˈskændəl/
disgraceful gossip about the private lives of other people
From this reading "Lauraine is very much changed," laments Mrs. Douglas to a select coterie of friends, on one of those chilly spring afternoons when they have dropped in to sip souchong and talk scandal in her pretty drawing-room.
occurring or distributed over widely spaced and irregular intervals in time or space
From this reading There are heaps of women scattered about--there are a few men.
scentsnounUS /sents/
plural of “scent” — a distinctive odor that is pleasant
From this reading There is a pleasant fragrance of tea, and the scents of flowers fill the air, and the babble of many voices sounds cheerfully amidst it all.
selectadjectiveUS /səˈlekt/
of superior grade
From this reading "Lauraine is very much changed," laments Mrs. Douglas to a select coterie of friends, on one of those chilly spring afternoons when they have dropped in to sip souchong and talk scandal in her pretty drawing-room.
sipnounUS /sɪp/
a small drink
From this reading "Lauraine is very much changed," laments Mrs. Douglas to a select coterie of friends, on one of those chilly spring afternoons when they have dropped in to sip souchong and talk scandal in her pretty drawing-room.
souchongnoun
a fine quality of black tea native to China
From this reading "Lauraine is very much changed," laments Mrs. Douglas to a select coterie of friends, on one of those chilly spring afternoons when they have dropped in to sip souchong and talk scandal in her pretty drawing-room.
plural of “sound” — the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading There is a pleasant fragrance of tea, and the scents of flowers fill the air, and the babble of many voices sounds cheerfully amidst it all.
the season of growth
From this reading "Lauraine is very much changed," laments Mrs. Douglas to a select coterie of friends, on one of those chilly spring afternoons when they have dropped in to sip souchong and talk scandal in her pretty drawing-room.
subduedadjectiveUS /səbˈduːd/
in a softened tone
From this reading The lights are subdued.
exchange thoughts; talk with
From this reading "Lauraine is very much changed," laments Mrs. Douglas to a select coterie of friends, on one of those chilly spring afternoons when they have dropped in to sip souchong and talk scandal in her pretty drawing-room.
a beverage made by steeping tea leaves in water
From this reading There is a pleasant fragrance of tea, and the scents of flowers fill the air, and the babble of many voices sounds cheerfully amidst it all.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The lights are subdued.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There are heaps of women scattered about--there are a few men.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Lauraine is very much changed," laments Mrs. Douglas to a select coterie of friends, on one of those chilly spring afternoons when they have dropped in to sip souchong and talk scandal in her pretty drawing-room.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading "Lauraine is very much changed," laments Mrs. Douglas to a select coterie of friends, on one of those chilly spring afternoons when they have dropped in to sip souchong and talk scandal in her pretty drawing-room.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "Lauraine is very much changed," laments Mrs. Douglas to a select coterie of friends, on one of those chilly spring afternoons when they have dropped in to sip souchong and talk scandal in her pretty drawing-room.
precisely as stated
From this reading "Lauraine is very much changed," laments Mrs. Douglas to a select coterie of friends, on one of those chilly spring afternoons when they have dropped in to sip souchong and talk scandal in her pretty drawing-room.
plural of “voice” — the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading There is a pleasant fragrance of tea, and the scents of flowers fill the air, and the babble of many voices sounds cheerfully amidst it all.
at the time that
From this reading "Lauraine is very much changed," laments Mrs. Douglas to a select coterie of friends, on one of those chilly spring afternoons when they have dropped in to sip souchong and talk scandal in her pretty drawing-room.
plural of “woman” — an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading There are heaps of women scattered about--there are a few men.
