used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The girl peered with a whiter face than ever from the parlour doorway, and a fourth auditor came upon the scene in the person of an elderly woman in black satin and old lace, who rushed into the hall with frightened eyes and upraised hands, in time to hear the question and the answer.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading The girl peered with a whiter face than ever from the parlour doorway, and a fourth auditor came upon the scene in the person of an elderly woman in black satin and old lace, who rushed into the hall with frightened eyes and upraised hands, in time to hear the question and the answer.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The clatter of the tumbling objects in the hall brought out the General and Jack Jervase’s son.
react verbally
From this reading The girl peered with a whiter face than ever from the parlour doorway, and a fourth auditor came upon the scene in the person of an elderly woman in black satin and old lace, who rushed into the hall with frightened eyes and upraised hands, in time to hear the question and the answer.
auditornounUS /ˈɔːdɪtər/
someone who listens attentively
From this reading The girl peered with a whiter face than ever from the parlour doorway, and a fourth auditor came upon the scene in the person of an elderly woman in black satin and old lace, who rushed into the hall with frightened eyes and upraised hands, in time to hear the question and the answer.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Jack Jervase ran away from home when the nineteenth century was in its teens.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading To make clear what the question and the answer meant to the four people who heard them, I must go back a step.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading He had left behind him a harum-scarum reputation, and, save for his father and mother, but a solitary relative of his own name.
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 girl peered with a whiter face than ever from the parlour doorway, and a fourth auditor came upon the scene in the person of an elderly woman in black satin and old lace, who rushed into the hall with frightened eyes and upraised hands, in time to hear the question and the answer.
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading The clatter of the tumbling objects in the hall brought out the General and Jack Jervase’s son.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading He had left behind him a harum-scarum reputation, and, save for his father and mother, but a solitary relative of his own name.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading The girl peered with a whiter face than ever from the parlour doorway, and a fourth auditor came upon the scene in the person of an elderly woman in black satin and old lace, who rushed into the hall with frightened eyes and upraised hands, in time to hear the question and the answer.
a period of 100 years
From this reading Jack Jervase ran away from home when the nineteenth century was in its teens.
clatternounUS /ˈklætər/
a rattling noise (often produced by rapid movement)
From this reading The clatter of the tumbling objects in the hall brought out the General and Jack Jervase’s son.
rid of obstructions
From this reading To make clear what the question and the answer meant to the four people who heard them, I must go back a step.
the entrance (the space in a wall) through which you enter or leave a room or building; the space that a door can close
From this reading The girl peered with a whiter face than ever from the parlour doorway, and a fourth auditor came upon the scene in the person of an elderly woman in black satin and old lace, who rushed into the hall with frightened eyes and upraised hands, in time to hear the question and the answer.
elderlyadjectiveUS /ˈeldərli/
advanced in years; (“aged” is pronounced as two syllables)
From this reading The girl peered with a whiter face than ever from the parlour doorway, and a fourth auditor came upon the scene in the person of an elderly woman in black satin and old lace, who rushed into the hall with frightened eyes and upraised hands, in time to hear the question and the answer.
at any time
From this reading The girl peered with a whiter face than ever from the parlour doorway, and a fourth auditor came upon the scene in the person of an elderly woman in black satin and old lace, who rushed into the hall with frightened eyes and upraised hands, in time to hear the question and the answer.
opinion or judgment
From this reading The girl peered with a whiter face than ever from the parlour doorway, and a fourth auditor came upon the scene in the person of an elderly woman in black satin and old lace, who rushed into the hall with frightened eyes and upraised hands, in time to hear the question and the answer.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading The girl peered with a whiter face than ever from the parlour doorway, and a fourth auditor came upon the scene in the person of an elderly woman in black satin and old lace, who rushed into the hall with frightened eyes and upraised hands, in time to hear the question and the answer.
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading He had left behind him a harum-scarum reputation, and, save for his father and mother, but a solitary relative of his own name.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading He had left behind him a harum-scarum reputation, and, save for his father and mother, but a solitary relative of his own name.
the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one
From this reading To make clear what the question and the answer meant to the four people who heard them, I must go back a step.
following the third position; number four in a countable series
From this reading The girl peered with a whiter face than ever from the parlour doorway, and a fourth auditor came upon the scene in the person of an elderly woman in black satin and old lace, who rushed into the hall with frightened eyes and upraised hands, in time to hear the question and the answer.
made afraid
From this reading The girl peered with a whiter face than ever from the parlour doorway, and a fourth auditor came upon the scene in the person of an elderly woman in black satin and old lace, who rushed into the hall with frightened eyes and upraised hands, in time to hear the question and the answer.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The girl peered with a whiter face than ever from the parlour doorway, and a fourth auditor came upon the scene in the person of an elderly woman in black satin and old lace, who rushed into the hall with frightened eyes and upraised hands, in time to hear the question and the answer.
applying to all or most members of a category or group
From this reading The clatter of the tumbling objects in the hall brought out the General and Jack Jervase’s son.
a young female
From this reading The girl peered with a whiter face than ever from the parlour doorway, and a fourth auditor came upon the scene in the person of an elderly woman in black satin and old lace, who rushed into the hall with frightened eyes and upraised hands, in time to hear the question and the answer.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading To make clear what the question and the answer meant to the four people who heard them, I must go back a step.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He had left behind him a harum-scarum reputation, and, save for his father and mother, but a solitary relative of his own name.
an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open
From this reading The clatter of the tumbling objects in the hall brought out the General and Jack Jervase’s son.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading The girl peered with a whiter face than ever from the parlour doorway, and a fourth auditor came upon the scene in the person of an elderly woman in black satin and old lace, who rushed into the hall with frightened eyes and upraised hands, in time to hear the question and the answer.
harum-scarumnoun
a reckless impetuous irresponsible person
From this reading He had left behind him a harum-scarum reputation, and, save for his father and mother, but a solitary relative of his own name.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He had left behind him a harum-scarum reputation, and, save for his father and mother, but a solitary relative of his own name.
perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
From this reading The girl peered with a whiter face than ever from the parlour doorway, and a fourth auditor came upon the scene in the person of an elderly woman in black satin and old lace, who rushed into the hall with frightened eyes and upraised hands, in time to hear the question and the answer.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading To make clear what the question and the answer meant to the four people who heard them, I must go back a step.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He had left behind him a harum-scarum reputation, and, save for his father and mother, but a solitary relative of his own name.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He had left behind him a harum-scarum reputation, and, save for his father and mother, but a solitary relative of his own name.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading Jack Jervase ran away from home when the nineteenth century was in its teens.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading To make clear what the question and the answer meant to the four people who heard them, I must go back a step.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The clatter of the tumbling objects in the hall brought out the General and Jack Jervase’s son.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading The girl peered with a whiter face than ever from the parlour doorway, and a fourth auditor came upon the scene in the person of an elderly woman in black satin and old lace, who rushed into the hall with frightened eyes and upraised hands, in time to hear the question and the answer.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading Jack Jervase ran away from home when the nineteenth century was in its teens.
a small worthless amount
From this reading The clatter of the tumbling objects in the hall brought out the General and Jack Jervase’s son.
Jervase
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Jack Jervase ran away from home when the nineteenth century was in its teens.
Jervase's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The clatter of the tumbling objects in the hall brought out the General and Jack Jervase’s son.
laceverbUS /leɪs/
spin, wind, or twist together
From this reading The girl peered with a whiter face than ever from the parlour doorway, and a fourth auditor came upon the scene in the person of an elderly woman in black satin and old lace, who rushed into the hall with frightened eyes and upraised hands, in time to hear the question and the answer.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading He had left behind him a harum-scarum reputation, and, save for his father and mother, but a solitary relative of his own name.
engage in
From this reading To make clear what the question and the answer meant to the four people who heard them, I must go back a step.
inflected form of “mean” — mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading To make clear what the question and the answer meant to the four people who heard them, I must go back a step.
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading He had left behind him a harum-scarum reputation, and, save for his father and mother, but a solitary relative of his own name.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading To make clear what the question and the answer meant to the four people who heard them, I must go back a step.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading He had left behind him a harum-scarum reputation, and, save for his father and mother, but a solitary relative of his own name.
nineteenthadjectiveUS /ˈnaɪnˈtiːnθ/
coming next after the eighteenth in position
From this reading Jack Jervase ran away from home when the nineteenth century was in its teens.
plural of “object” — a tangible and visible entity; an entity that can cast a shadow
From this reading The clatter of the tumbling objects in the hall brought out the General and Jack Jervase’s son.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The clatter of the tumbling objects in the hall brought out the General and Jack Jervase’s son.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading The girl peered with a whiter face than ever from the parlour doorway, and a fourth auditor came upon the scene in the person of an elderly woman in black satin and old lace, who rushed into the hall with frightened eyes and upraised hands, in time to hear the question and the answer.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading The clatter of the tumbling objects in the hall brought out the General and Jack Jervase’s son.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading He had left behind him a harum-scarum reputation, and, save for his father and mother, but a solitary relative of his own name.
parlournounUS /ˈpɑːrlər/
reception room in an inn or club where visitors can be received
From this reading The girl peered with a whiter face than ever from the parlour doorway, and a fourth auditor came upon the scene in the person of an elderly woman in black satin and old lace, who rushed into the hall with frightened eyes and upraised hands, in time to hear the question and the answer.
peeredverbUS /pɪrd/
past form of “peer” — look searchingly
From this reading The girl peered with a whiter face than ever from the parlour doorway, and a fourth auditor came upon the scene in the person of an elderly woman in black satin and old lace, who rushed into the hall with frightened eyes and upraised hands, in time to hear the question and the answer.
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading To make clear what the question and the answer meant to the four people who heard them, I must go back a step.
a human being
From this reading The girl peered with a whiter face than ever from the parlour doorway, and a fourth auditor came upon the scene in the person of an elderly woman in black satin and old lace, who rushed into the hall with frightened eyes and upraised hands, in time to hear the question and the answer.
challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of
From this reading The girl peered with a whiter face than ever from the parlour doorway, and a fourth auditor came upon the scene in the person of an elderly woman in black satin and old lace, who rushed into the hall with frightened eyes and upraised hands, in time to hear the question and the answer.
inflected form of “run” — move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading Jack Jervase ran away from home when the nineteenth century was in its teens.
relativenounUS /ˈrelətɪv/
a person related by blood or marriage
From this reading He had left behind him a harum-scarum reputation, and, save for his father and mother, but a solitary relative of his own name.
the state of being held in high esteem and honor
From this reading He had left behind him a harum-scarum reputation, and, save for his father and mother, but a solitary relative of his own name.
done under pressure
From this reading The girl peered with a whiter face than ever from the parlour doorway, and a fourth auditor came upon the scene in the person of an elderly woman in black satin and old lace, who rushed into the hall with frightened eyes and upraised hands, in time to hear the question and the answer.
satinnounUS /ˈsætən/
a smooth fabric of silk or rayon; has a glossy face and a dull back
From this reading The girl peered with a whiter face than ever from the parlour doorway, and a fourth auditor came upon the scene in the person of an elderly woman in black satin and old lace, who rushed into the hall with frightened eyes and upraised hands, in time to hear the question and the answer.
except for; apart from
From this reading He had left behind him a harum-scarum reputation, and, save for his father and mother, but a solitary relative of his own name.
the place where some action occurs
From this reading The girl peered with a whiter face than ever from the parlour doorway, and a fourth auditor came upon the scene in the person of an elderly woman in black satin and old lace, who rushed into the hall with frightened eyes and upraised hands, in time to hear the question and the answer.
characterized by or preferring solitude
From this reading He had left behind him a harum-scarum reputation, and, save for his father and mother, but a solitary relative of his own name.
a male human offspring
From this reading The clatter of the tumbling objects in the hall brought out the General and Jack Jervase’s son.
any maneuver made as part of progress toward a goal
From this reading To make clear what the question and the answer meant to the four people who heard them, I must go back a step.
teensnounUS /tiːnz/
the time of life between the ages of 12 and 20
From this reading Jack Jervase ran away from home when the nineteenth century was in its teens.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading The girl peered with a whiter face than ever from the parlour doorway, and a fourth auditor came upon the scene in the person of an elderly woman in black satin and old lace, who rushed into the hall with frightened eyes and upraised hands, in time to hear the question and the answer.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The clatter of the tumbling objects in the hall brought out the General and Jack Jervase’s son.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading To make clear what the question and the answer meant to the four people who heard them, I must go back a step.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading The girl peered with a whiter face than ever from the parlour doorway, and a fourth auditor came upon the scene in the person of an elderly woman in black satin and old lace, who rushed into the hall with frightened eyes and upraised hands, in time to hear the question and the answer.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The girl peered with a whiter face than ever from the parlour doorway, and a fourth auditor came upon the scene in the person of an elderly woman in black satin and old lace, who rushed into the hall with frightened eyes and upraised hands, in time to hear the question and the answer.
tumblingnounUS /ˈtʌmbəlɪŋ/
the gymnastic moves of an acrobat
From this reading The clatter of the tumbling objects in the hall brought out the General and Jack Jervase’s son.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading The girl peered with a whiter face than ever from the parlour doorway, and a fourth auditor came upon the scene in the person of an elderly woman in black satin and old lace, who rushed into the hall with frightened eyes and upraised hands, in time to hear the question and the answer.
upraisedadjective
held up in the air
From this reading The girl peered with a whiter face than ever from the parlour doorway, and a fourth auditor came upon the scene in the person of an elderly woman in black satin and old lace, who rushed into the hall with frightened eyes and upraised hands, in time to hear the question and the answer.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Jack Jervase ran away from home when the nineteenth century was in its teens.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading To make clear what the question and the answer meant to the four people who heard them, I must go back a step.
at the time that
From this reading Jack Jervase ran away from home when the nineteenth century was in its teens.
whiteradjectiveUS /ˈwaɪtər/
comparative of “white” — being of the achromatic color of maximum lightness; having little or no hue owing to reflection of almost all incident light
From this reading The girl peered with a whiter face than ever from the parlour doorway, and a fourth auditor came upon the scene in the person of an elderly woman in black satin and old lace, who rushed into the hall with frightened eyes and upraised hands, in time to hear the question and the answer.
which person or people
From this reading The girl peered with a whiter face than ever from the parlour doorway, and a fourth auditor came upon the scene in the person of an elderly woman in black satin and old lace, who rushed into the hall with frightened eyes and upraised hands, in time to hear the question and the answer.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The girl peered with a whiter face than ever from the parlour doorway, and a fourth auditor came upon the scene in the person of an elderly woman in black satin and old lace, who rushed into the hall with frightened eyes and upraised hands, in time to hear the question and the answer.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading The girl peered with a whiter face than ever from the parlour doorway, and a fourth auditor came upon the scene in the person of an elderly woman in black satin and old lace, who rushed into the hall with frightened eyes and upraised hands, in time to hear the question and the answer.
