used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Showing Miss Spurrier her back, facing the mantelshelf, she pretended to be interested by the trifles which were on it, but to an observant eye few things can be more eloquent than a person's back; the twitching of her shoulders was in itself more than sufficiently eloquent.
acted upon; influenced
From this reading That her visitor's words had affected her disagreeably her behaviour showed.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Showing Miss Spurrier her back, facing the mantelshelf, she pretended to be interested by the trifles which were on it, but to an observant eye few things can be more eloquent than a person's back; the twitching of her shoulders was in itself more than sufficiently eloquent.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading Showing Miss Spurrier her back, facing the mantelshelf, she pretended to be interested by the trifles which were on it, but to an observant eye few things can be more eloquent than a person's back; the twitching of her shoulders was in itself more than sufficiently eloquent.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Showing Miss Spurrier her back, facing the mantelshelf, she pretended to be interested by the trifles which were on it, but to an observant eye few things can be more eloquent than a person's back; the twitching of her shoulders was in itself more than sufficiently eloquent.
behaviournounUS /bɪˈheɪvjər/
the action or reaction of something (as a machine or substance) under specified circumstances
From this reading That her visitor's words had affected her disagreeably her behaviour showed.
past form of “betray” — reveal unintentionally
From this reading Even her speech betrayed her; it faltered.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Showing Miss Spurrier her back, facing the mantelshelf, she pretended to be interested by the trifles which were on it, but to an observant eye few things can be more eloquent than a person's back; the twitching of her shoulders was in itself more than sufficiently eloquent.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Showing Miss Spurrier her back, facing the mantelshelf, she pretended to be interested by the trifles which were on it, but to an observant eye few things can be more eloquent than a person's back; the twitching of her shoulders was in itself more than sufficiently eloquent.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading Showing Miss Spurrier her back, facing the mantelshelf, she pretended to be interested by the trifles which were on it, but to an observant eye few things can be more eloquent than a person's back; the twitching of her shoulders was in itself more than sufficiently eloquent.
disagreeablyadverb
in a disagreeable manner
From this reading That her visitor's words had affected her disagreeably her behaviour showed.
eloquentadjectiveUS /ˈeləkwənt/
expressing yourself readily, clearly, effectively
From this reading Showing Miss Spurrier her back, facing the mantelshelf, she pretended to be interested by the trifles which were on it, but to an observant eye few things can be more eloquent than a person's back; the twitching of her shoulders was in itself more than sufficiently eloquent.
divisible by two
From this reading Even her speech betrayed her; it faltered.
the organ of sight
From this reading Showing Miss Spurrier her back, facing the mantelshelf, she pretended to be interested by the trifles which were on it, but to an observant eye few things can be more eloquent than a person's back; the twitching of her shoulders was in itself more than sufficiently eloquent.
facingnounUS /ˈfeɪsɪŋ/
a lining applied to the edge of a garment for ornamentation or strengthening
From this reading Showing Miss Spurrier her back, facing the mantelshelf, she pretended to be interested by the trifles which were on it, but to an observant eye few things can be more eloquent than a person's back; the twitching of her shoulders was in itself more than sufficiently eloquent.
falteredverbUS /ˈfɑːltərd/
past form of “falter” — be unsure or weak
From this reading Even her speech betrayed her; it faltered.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading Showing Miss Spurrier her back, facing the mantelshelf, she pretended to be interested by the trifles which were on it, but to an observant eye few things can be more eloquent than a person's back; the twitching of her shoulders was in itself more than sufficiently eloquent.
Forster
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Miss Forster was silent.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading That her visitor's words had affected her disagreeably her behaviour showed.
state of well-being characterized by emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy
From this reading Happiness!
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading That her visitor's words had affected her disagreeably her behaviour showed.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Showing Miss Spurrier her back, facing the mantelshelf, she pretended to be interested by the trifles which were on it, but to an observant eye few things can be more eloquent than a person's back; the twitching of her shoulders was in itself more than sufficiently eloquent.
having or showing interest; especially curiosity or fascination or concern
From this reading Showing Miss Spurrier her back, facing the mantelshelf, she pretended to be interested by the trifles which were on it, but to an observant eye few things can be more eloquent than a person's back; the twitching of her shoulders was in itself more than sufficiently eloquent.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Showing Miss Spurrier her back, facing the mantelshelf, she pretended to be interested by the trifles which were on it, but to an observant eye few things can be more eloquent than a person's back; the twitching of her shoulders was in itself more than sufficiently eloquent.
used when the thing doing the action is also its object
From this reading Showing Miss Spurrier her back, facing the mantelshelf, she pretended to be interested by the trifles which were on it, but to an observant eye few things can be more eloquent than a person's back; the twitching of her shoulders was in itself more than sufficiently eloquent.
mantelshelf
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Showing Miss Spurrier her back, facing the mantelshelf, she pretended to be interested by the trifles which were on it, but to an observant eye few things can be more eloquent than a person's back; the twitching of her shoulders was in itself more than sufficiently eloquent.
fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind
From this reading Miss Forster was silent.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Showing Miss Spurrier her back, facing the mantelshelf, she pretended to be interested by the trifles which were on it, but to an observant eye few things can be more eloquent than a person's back; the twitching of her shoulders was in itself more than sufficiently eloquent.
observantadjectiveUS /əbˈzɜːrvənt/
paying close attention especially to details
From this reading Showing Miss Spurrier her back, facing the mantelshelf, she pretended to be interested by the trifles which were on it, but to an observant eye few things can be more eloquent than a person's back; the twitching of her shoulders was in itself more than sufficiently eloquent.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Showing Miss Spurrier her back, facing the mantelshelf, she pretended to be interested by the trifles which were on it, but to an observant eye few things can be more eloquent than a person's back; the twitching of her shoulders was in itself more than sufficiently eloquent.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Showing Miss Spurrier her back, facing the mantelshelf, she pretended to be interested by the trifles which were on it, but to an observant eye few things can be more eloquent than a person's back; the twitching of her shoulders was in itself more than sufficiently eloquent.
person'snounUS /ˈpɜːrsənz/
possessive form of “person” — a human being
From this reading Showing Miss Spurrier her back, facing the mantelshelf, she pretended to be interested by the trifles which were on it, but to an observant eye few things can be more eloquent than a person's back; the twitching of her shoulders was in itself more than sufficiently eloquent.
pretendedadjectiveUS /priˈtendɪd/
adopted in order to deceive
From this reading Showing Miss Spurrier her back, facing the mantelshelf, she pretended to be interested by the trifles which were on it, but to an observant eye few things can be more eloquent than a person's back; the twitching of her shoulders was in itself more than sufficiently eloquent.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Showing Miss Spurrier her back, facing the mantelshelf, she pretended to be interested by the trifles which were on it, but to an observant eye few things can be more eloquent than a person's back; the twitching of her shoulders was in itself more than sufficiently eloquent.
plural of “shoulder” — the part of the body between the neck and the upper arm
From this reading Showing Miss Spurrier her back, facing the mantelshelf, she pretended to be interested by the trifles which were on it, but to an observant eye few things can be more eloquent than a person's back; the twitching of her shoulders was in itself more than sufficiently eloquent.
past form of “show” — give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading That her visitor's words had affected her disagreeably her behaviour showed.
the display of a motion picture
From this reading Showing Miss Spurrier her back, facing the mantelshelf, she pretended to be interested by the trifles which were on it, but to an observant eye few things can be more eloquent than a person's back; the twitching of her shoulders was in itself more than sufficiently eloquent.
marked by absence of sound
From this reading Miss Forster was silent.
the act of delivering a formal spoken communication to an audience
From this reading Even her speech betrayed her; it faltered.
Spurrier
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Showing Miss Spurrier her back, facing the mantelshelf, she pretended to be interested by the trifles which were on it, but to an observant eye few things can be more eloquent than a person's back; the twitching of her shoulders was in itself more than sufficiently eloquent.
to a sufficient degree
From this reading Showing Miss Spurrier her back, facing the mantelshelf, she pretended to be interested by the trifles which were on it, but to an observant eye few things can be more eloquent than a person's back; the twitching of her shoulders was in itself more than sufficiently eloquent.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Showing Miss Spurrier her back, facing the mantelshelf, she pretended to be interested by the trifles which were on it, but to an observant eye few things can be more eloquent than a person's back; the twitching of her shoulders was in itself more than sufficiently eloquent.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading That her visitor's words had affected her disagreeably her behaviour showed.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Showing Miss Spurrier her back, facing the mantelshelf, she pretended to be interested by the trifles which were on it, but to an observant eye few things can be more eloquent than a person's back; the twitching of her shoulders was in itself more than sufficiently eloquent.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading Showing Miss Spurrier her back, facing the mantelshelf, she pretended to be interested by the trifles which were on it, but to an observant eye few things can be more eloquent than a person's back; the twitching of her shoulders was in itself more than sufficiently eloquent.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Showing Miss Spurrier her back, facing the mantelshelf, she pretended to be interested by the trifles which were on it, but to an observant eye few things can be more eloquent than a person's back; the twitching of her shoulders was in itself more than sufficiently eloquent.
triflesnounUS /ˈtraɪfəlz/
plural of “trifle” — a cold pudding made of layers of sponge cake spread with fruit or jelly; may be decorated with nuts, cream, or chocolate
From this reading Showing Miss Spurrier her back, facing the mantelshelf, she pretended to be interested by the trifles which were on it, but to an observant eye few things can be more eloquent than a person's back; the twitching of her shoulders was in itself more than sufficiently eloquent.
twitchingnounUS /ˈtwɪtʃɪŋ/
a sudden muscle spasm; especially one caused by a nervous condition
From this reading Showing Miss Spurrier her back, facing the mantelshelf, she pretended to be interested by the trifles which were on it, but to an observant eye few things can be more eloquent than a person's back; the twitching of her shoulders was in itself more than sufficiently eloquent.
visitor'snounUS /ˈvɪzɪtərz/
possessive form of “visitor” — someone who visits
From this reading That her visitor's words had affected her disagreeably her behaviour showed.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Miss Forster was silent.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Showing Miss Spurrier her back, facing the mantelshelf, she pretended to be interested by the trifles which were on it, but to an observant eye few things can be more eloquent than a person's back; the twitching of her shoulders was in itself more than sufficiently eloquent.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Showing Miss Spurrier her back, facing the mantelshelf, she pretended to be interested by the trifles which were on it, but to an observant eye few things can be more eloquent than a person's back; the twitching of her shoulders was in itself more than sufficiently eloquent.
the words that are spoken
From this reading That her visitor's words had affected her disagreeably her behaviour showed.
