used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It was a wonderful dinner they enjoyed in Madame LeClare's snug little home.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Dinner over, they sat about the fire while Lucian, a slender boy of twelve, entertained them with quaint French melodies played upon an ancient violin that had been his grandfather's.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Dinner over, they sat about the fire while Lucian, a slender boy of twelve, entertained them with quaint French melodies played upon an ancient violin that had been his grandfather's.
Belonging to the very distant past and no longer in existence or deeply revered.
From this reading Dinner over, they sat about the fire while Lucian, a slender boy of twelve, entertained them with quaint French melodies played upon an ancient violin that had been his grandfather's.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading And not the least of the joys for the Captain on that occasion--Johnny was sure of this--were the smiling eyes of the kindly hostess.
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading As for Johnny, he had more than one smile from another pair of dark eyes.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "You are to be a musician," Johnny said to Lucian.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As for Johnny, he had more than one smile from another pair of dark eyes.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "You are to be a musician," Johnny said to Lucian.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Dinner over, they sat about the fire while Lucian, a slender boy of twelve, entertained them with quaint French melodies played upon an ancient violin that had been his grandfather's.
a youthful male person
From this reading Dinner over, they sat about the fire while Lucian, a slender boy of twelve, entertained them with quaint French melodies played upon an ancient violin that had been his grandfather's.
an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant
From this reading And not the least of the joys for the Captain on that occasion--Johnny was sure of this--were the smiling eyes of the kindly hostess.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading As for Johnny, he had more than one smile from another pair of dark eyes.
the main meal of the day served in the evening or at midday
From this reading It was a wonderful dinner they enjoyed in Madame LeClare's snug little home.
past form of “enjoy” — derive or receive pleasure from; get enjoyment from; take pleasure in
From this reading It was a wonderful dinner they enjoyed in Madame LeClare's snug little home.
entertainedadjectiveUS /ˌentərˈteɪnd/
pleasantly occupied
From this reading Dinner over, they sat about the fire while Lucian, a slender boy of twelve, entertained them with quaint French melodies played upon an ancient violin that had been his grandfather's.
opinion or judgment
From this reading And not the least of the joys for the Captain on that occasion--Johnny was sure of this--were the smiling eyes of the kindly hostess.
start firing a weapon
From this reading Dinner over, they sat about the fire while Lucian, a slender boy of twelve, entertained them with quaint French melodies played upon an ancient violin that had been his grandfather's.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading And not the least of the joys for the Captain on that occasion--Johnny was sure of this--were the smiling eyes of the kindly hostess.
the Romance language spoken in France and in countries colonized by France
From this reading Dinner over, they sat about the fire while Lucian, a slender boy of twelve, entertained them with quaint French melodies played upon an ancient violin that had been his grandfather's.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading As for Johnny, he had more than one smile from another pair of dark eyes.
grandfather'snounUS /ˈɡrændfɑːðərz/
possessive form of “grandfather” — the father of your father or mother
From this reading Dinner over, they sat about the fire while Lucian, a slender boy of twelve, entertained them with quaint French melodies played upon an ancient violin that had been his grandfather's.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading As for Johnny, he had more than one smile from another pair of dark eyes.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading As for Johnny, he had more than one smile from another pair of dark eyes.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Dinner over, they sat about the fire while Lucian, a slender boy of twelve, entertained them with quaint French melodies played upon an ancient violin that had been his grandfather's.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading It was a wonderful dinner they enjoyed in Madame LeClare's snug little home.
hostessnounUS /ˈhoʊstəs/
a woman host
From this reading And not the least of the joys for the Captain on that occasion--Johnny was sure of this--were the smiling eyes of the kindly hostess.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading It was a wonderful dinner they enjoyed in Madame LeClare's snug little home.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was a wonderful dinner they enjoyed in Madame LeClare's snug little home.
“Johnny” was applied as a nickname for Confederate soldiers by the Federal soldiers in the American Civil War; “greyback” derived from their grey Confederate uniforms
From this reading And not the least of the joys for the Captain on that occasion--Johnny was sure of this--were the smiling eyes of the kindly hostess.
joysnounUS /dʒɔɪz/
plural of “joy” — the emotion of great happiness
From this reading And not the least of the joys for the Captain on that occasion--Johnny was sure of this--were the smiling eyes of the kindly hostess.
showing or motivated by sympathy and understanding and generosity
From this reading And not the least of the joys for the Captain on that occasion--Johnny was sure of this--were the smiling eyes of the kindly hostess.
the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree
From this reading And not the least of the joys for the Captain on that occasion--Johnny was sure of this--were the smiling eyes of the kindly hostess.
LeClare's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was a wonderful dinner they enjoyed in Madame LeClare's snug little home.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading It was a wonderful dinner they enjoyed in Madame LeClare's snug little home.
Lucian
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Dinner over, they sat about the fire while Lucian, a slender boy of twelve, entertained them with quaint French melodies played upon an ancient violin that had been his grandfather's.
title used for a married Frenchwoman
From this reading It was a wonderful dinner they enjoyed in Madame LeClare's snug little home.
melodiesnounUS /ˈmelədiz/
plural of “melody” — a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence
From this reading Dinner over, they sat about the fire while Lucian, a slender boy of twelve, entertained them with quaint French melodies played upon an ancient violin that had been his grandfather's.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading As for Johnny, he had more than one smile from another pair of dark eyes.
musiciannounUS /mjuːˈzɪʃən/
someone who plays a musical instrument (as a profession)
From this reading "You are to be a musician," Johnny said to Lucian.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading And not the least of the joys for the Captain on that occasion--Johnny was sure of this--were the smiling eyes of the kindly hostess.
an event that occurs at a critical time
From this reading And not the least of the joys for the Captain on that occasion--Johnny was sure of this--were the smiling eyes of the kindly hostess.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading And not the least of the joys for the Captain on that occasion--Johnny was sure of this--were the smiling eyes of the kindly hostess.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading And not the least of the joys for the Captain on that occasion--Johnny was sure of this--were the smiling eyes of the kindly hostess.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading As for Johnny, he had more than one smile from another pair of dark eyes.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading Dinner over, they sat about the fire while Lucian, a slender boy of twelve, entertained them with quaint French melodies played upon an ancient violin that had been his grandfather's.
a set of two similar things considered as a unit
From this reading As for Johnny, he had more than one smile from another pair of dark eyes.
(of games) engaged in
From this reading Dinner over, they sat about the fire while Lucian, a slender boy of twelve, entertained them with quaint French melodies played upon an ancient violin that had been his grandfather's.
quaintadjectiveUS /kweɪnt/
strange in an interesting or pleasing way
From this reading Dinner over, they sat about the fire while Lucian, a slender boy of twelve, entertained them with quaint French melodies played upon an ancient violin that had been his grandfather's.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "You are to be a musician," Johnny said to Lucian.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading Dinner over, they sat about the fire while Lucian, a slender boy of twelve, entertained them with quaint French melodies played upon an ancient violin that had been his grandfather's.
being of delicate or slender build
From this reading Dinner over, they sat about the fire while Lucian, a slender boy of twelve, entertained them with quaint French melodies played upon an ancient violin that had been his grandfather's.
change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure
From this reading As for Johnny, he had more than one smile from another pair of dark eyes.
a facial expression characterized by turning up the corners of the mouth; usually shows pleasure or amusement
From this reading And not the least of the joys for the Captain on that occasion--Johnny was sure of this--were the smiling eyes of the kindly hostess.
snugadjectiveUS /snʌɡ/
offering safety; well protected or concealed
From this reading It was a wonderful dinner they enjoyed in Madame LeClare's snug little home.
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading And not the least of the joys for the Captain on that occasion--Johnny was sure of this--were the smiling eyes of the kindly hostess.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading As for Johnny, he had more than one smile from another pair of dark eyes.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading And not the least of the joys for the Captain on that occasion--Johnny was sure of this--were the smiling eyes of the kindly hostess.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading And not the least of the joys for the Captain on that occasion--Johnny was sure of this--were the smiling eyes of the kindly hostess.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Dinner over, they sat about the fire while Lucian, a slender boy of twelve, entertained them with quaint French melodies played upon an ancient violin that had been his grandfather's.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading It was a wonderful dinner they enjoyed in Madame LeClare's snug little home.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading And not the least of the joys for the Captain on that occasion--Johnny was sure of this--were the smiling eyes of the kindly hostess.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "You are to be a musician," Johnny said to Lucian.
the cardinal number that is the sum of eleven and one
From this reading Dinner over, they sat about the fire while Lucian, a slender boy of twelve, entertained them with quaint French melodies played upon an ancient violin that had been his grandfather's.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Dinner over, they sat about the fire while Lucian, a slender boy of twelve, entertained them with quaint French melodies played upon an ancient violin that had been his grandfather's.
violinnounUS /vaɪəˈlɪn/
bowed stringed instrument that is the highest member of the violin family; this instrument has four strings and a hollow body and an unfretted fingerboard and is played with a bow
From this reading Dinner over, they sat about the fire while Lucian, a slender boy of twelve, entertained them with quaint French melodies played upon an ancient violin that had been his grandfather's.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was a wonderful dinner they enjoyed in Madame LeClare's snug little home.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading And not the least of the joys for the Captain on that occasion--Johnny was sure of this--were the smiling eyes of the kindly hostess.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading Dinner over, they sat about the fire while Lucian, a slender boy of twelve, entertained them with quaint French melodies played upon an ancient violin that had been his grandfather's.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Dinner over, they sat about the fire while Lucian, a slender boy of twelve, entertained them with quaint French melodies played upon an ancient violin that had been his grandfather's.
extraordinarily good or great; used especially as intensifiers
From this reading It was a wonderful dinner they enjoyed in Madame LeClare's snug little home.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "You are to be a musician," Johnny said to Lucian.
