used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The pews were full of women of all classes—they had been mostly reserved for them—the men finding standing room as best they could; and a buzz of admiration went round the church as Violet came into fall view.
a feeling of delighted approval and liking
From this reading The pews were full of women of all classes—they had been mostly reserved for them—the men finding standing room as best they could; and a buzz of admiration went round the church as Violet came into fall view.
(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 The pews were full of women of all classes—they had been mostly reserved for them—the men finding standing room as best they could; and a buzz of admiration went round the church as Violet came into fall view.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It was Aymer—oh yes, it was Aymer—and how noble he looked now that he was dressed as became him.
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading Her heart gave another bound of joy—involuntarily she stepped forward; what could be wanting to complete her happiness that day?
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading It was Aymer—oh yes, it was Aymer—and how noble he looked now that he was dressed as became him.
Aymer
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was Aymer—oh yes, it was Aymer—and how noble he looked now that he was dressed as became him.
barelyadverbUS /ˈberli/
only a very short time before
From this reading For the moment she barely recognised the handsome, gentlemanly man before her.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Her heart gave another bound of joy—involuntarily she stepped forward; what could be wanting to complete her happiness that day?
inflected form of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading It was Aymer—oh yes, it was Aymer—and how noble he looked now that he was dressed as became him.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Certainly it would have been hard to have named one single thing as lacking—not one.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading For the moment she barely recognised the handsome, gentlemanly man before her.
the supreme effort one can make
From this reading The pews were full of women of all classes—they had been mostly reserved for them—the men finding standing room as best they could; and a buzz of admiration went round the church as Violet came into fall view.
confined by bonds
From this reading Her heart gave another bound of joy—involuntarily she stepped forward; what could be wanting to complete her happiness that day?
buzzverbUS /bʌz/
make a buzzing sound
From this reading The pews were full of women of all classes—they had been mostly reserved for them—the men finding standing room as best they could; and a buzz of admiration went round the church as Violet came into fall view.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading The pews were full of women of all classes—they had been mostly reserved for them—the men finding standing room as best they could; and a buzz of admiration went round the church as Violet came into fall view.
definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)
From this reading Certainly it would have been hard to have named one single thing as lacking—not one.
one of the groups of Christians who have their own beliefs and forms of worship
From this reading The pews were full of women of all classes—they had been mostly reserved for them—the men finding standing room as best they could; and a buzz of admiration went round the church as Violet came into fall view.
classesnounUS /ˈklæsəz/
plural of “class” — a collection of things sharing a common attribute
From this reading The pews were full of women of all classes—they had been mostly reserved for them—the men finding standing room as best they could; and a buzz of admiration went round the church as Violet came into fall view.
come or bring to a finish or an end
From this reading Her heart gave another bound of joy—involuntarily she stepped forward; what could be wanting to complete her happiness that day?
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Her heart gave another bound of joy—involuntarily she stepped forward; what could be wanting to complete her happiness that day?
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading Her heart gave another bound of joy—involuntarily she stepped forward; what could be wanting to complete her happiness that day?
dressed or clothed especially in fine attire; often used in combination
From this reading It was Aymer—oh yes, it was Aymer—and how noble he looked now that he was dressed as became him.
descend in free fall under the influence of gravity
From this reading The pews were full of women of all classes—they had been mostly reserved for them—the men finding standing room as best they could; and a buzz of admiration went round the church as Violet came into fall view.
the act of determining the properties of something, usually by research or calculation
From this reading The pews were full of women of all classes—they had been mostly reserved for them—the men finding standing room as best they could; and a buzz of admiration went round the church as Violet came into fall view.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For the moment she barely recognised the handsome, gentlemanly man before her.
at or to or toward the front
From this reading Her heart gave another bound of joy—involuntarily she stepped forward; what could be wanting to complete her happiness that day?
containing as much or as many as is possible or normal
From this reading The pews were full of women of all classes—they had been mostly reserved for them—the men finding standing room as best they could; and a buzz of admiration went round the church as Violet came into fall view.
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading Her heart gave another bound of joy—involuntarily she stepped forward; what could be wanting to complete her happiness that day?
gentlemanlyadjectiveUS /ˈdʒentəlmənli/
befitting a man of good breeding
From this reading For the moment she barely recognised the handsome, gentlemanly man before her.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The pews were full of women of all classes—they had been mostly reserved for them—the men finding standing room as best they could; and a buzz of admiration went round the church as Violet came into fall view.
pleasing in appearance especially by reason of conformity to ideals of form and proportion
From this reading For the moment she barely recognised the handsome, gentlemanly man before her.
state of well-being characterized by emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy
From this reading Her heart gave another bound of joy—involuntarily she stepped forward; what could be wanting to complete her happiness that day?
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading Certainly it would have been hard to have named one single thing as lacking—not one.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Certainly it would have been hard to have named one single thing as lacking—not one.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading It was Aymer—oh yes, it was Aymer—and how noble he looked now that he was dressed as became him.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading Her heart gave another bound of joy—involuntarily she stepped forward; what could be wanting to complete her happiness that day?
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading For the moment she barely recognised the handsome, gentlemanly man before her.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading It was Aymer—oh yes, it was Aymer—and how noble he looked now that he was dressed as became him.
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was Aymer—oh yes, it was Aymer—and how noble he looked now that he was dressed as became him.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading The pews were full of women of all classes—they had been mostly reserved for them—the men finding standing room as best they could; and a buzz of admiration went round the church as Violet came into fall view.
involuntarilyadverbUS /ˌɪnvoʊˈlʌntərɪli/
against your will
From this reading Her heart gave another bound of joy—involuntarily she stepped forward; what could be wanting to complete her happiness that day?
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was Aymer—oh yes, it was Aymer—and how noble he looked now that he was dressed as became him.
the emotion of great happiness
From this reading Her heart gave another bound of joy—involuntarily she stepped forward; what could be wanting to complete her happiness that day?
lackingadjectiveUS /ˈlækɪŋ/
inadequate in amount or degree
From this reading Certainly it would have been hard to have named one single thing as lacking—not one.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading It was Aymer—oh yes, it was Aymer—and how noble he looked now that he was dressed as became him.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading For the moment she barely recognised the handsome, gentlemanly man before her.
the force of workers available
From this reading The pews were full of women of all classes—they had been mostly reserved for them—the men finding standing room as best they could; and a buzz of admiration went round the church as Violet came into fall view.
a particular point in time
From this reading For the moment she barely recognised the handsome, gentlemanly man before her.
mostlyadverbUS /ˈmoʊstli/
in large part; mainly or chiefly
From this reading The pews were full of women of all classes—they had been mostly reserved for them—the men finding standing room as best they could; and a buzz of admiration went round the church as Violet came into fall view.
past form of “name” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading Certainly it would have been hard to have named one single thing as lacking—not one.
nobleadjectiveUS /ˈnoʊbəl/
impressive in appearance
From this reading It was Aymer—oh yes, it was Aymer—and how noble he looked now that he was dressed as became him.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Certainly it would have been hard to have named one single thing as lacking—not one.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading It was Aymer—oh yes, it was Aymer—and how noble he looked now that he was dressed as became him.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Her heart gave another bound of joy—involuntarily she stepped forward; what could be wanting to complete her happiness that day?
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading It was Aymer—oh yes, it was Aymer—and how noble he looked now that he was dressed as became him.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Certainly it would have been hard to have named one single thing as lacking—not one.
pewsnounUS /pjuːz/
plural of “pew” — long bench with backs; used in church by the congregation
From this reading The pews were full of women of all classes—they had been mostly reserved for them—the men finding standing room as best they could; and a buzz of admiration went round the church as Violet came into fall view.
recognisedadjectiveUS /ˈrekəɡnaɪzd/
provided with a secure reputation
From this reading For the moment she barely recognised the handsome, gentlemanly man before her.
reservedadjectiveUS /rɪˈzɜːrvd/
set aside for the use of a particular person or party
From this reading The pews were full of women of all classes—they had been mostly reserved for them—the men finding standing room as best they could; and a buzz of admiration went round the church as Violet came into fall view.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading The pews were full of women of all classes—they had been mostly reserved for them—the men finding standing room as best they could; and a buzz of admiration went round the church as Violet came into fall view.
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading The pews were full of women of all classes—they had been mostly reserved for them—the men finding standing room as best they could; and a buzz of admiration went round the church as Violet came into fall view.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading For the moment she barely recognised the handsome, gentlemanly man before her.
being or characteristic of a single thing or person
From this reading Certainly it would have been hard to have named one single thing as lacking—not one.
having a supporting base
From this reading The pews were full of women of all classes—they had been mostly reserved for them—the men finding standing room as best they could; and a buzz of admiration went round the church as Violet came into fall view.
inflected form of “step” — shift or move by taking a step
From this reading Her heart gave another bound of joy—involuntarily she stepped forward; what could be wanting to complete her happiness that day?
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It was Aymer—oh yes, it was Aymer—and how noble he looked now that he was dressed as became him.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading For the moment she barely recognised the handsome, gentlemanly man before her.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading The pews were full of women of all classes—they had been mostly reserved for them—the men finding standing room as best they could; and a buzz of admiration went round the church as Violet came into fall view.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The pews were full of women of all classes—they had been mostly reserved for them—the men finding standing room as best they could; and a buzz of admiration went round the church as Violet came into fall view.
a special situation
From this reading Certainly it would have been hard to have named one single thing as lacking—not one.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Her heart gave another bound of joy—involuntarily she stepped forward; what could be wanting to complete her happiness that day?
a way of regarding situations or topics etc.
From this reading The pews were full of women of all classes—they had been mostly reserved for them—the men finding standing room as best they could; and a buzz of admiration went round the church as Violet came into fall view.
VioletnounUS /ˈvaɪəlɪt/
any of numerous low-growing violas with small flowers
From this reading The pews were full of women of all classes—they had been mostly reserved for them—the men finding standing room as best they could; and a buzz of admiration went round the church as Violet came into fall view.
nonexistent
From this reading Her heart gave another bound of joy—involuntarily she stepped forward; what could be wanting to complete her happiness that day?
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was Aymer—oh yes, it was Aymer—and how noble he looked now that he was dressed as became him.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading The pews were full of women of all classes—they had been mostly reserved for them—the men finding standing room as best they could; and a buzz of admiration went round the church as Violet came into fall view.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The pews were full of women of all classes—they had been mostly reserved for them—the men finding standing room as best they could; and a buzz of admiration went round the church as Violet came into fall view.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading Her heart gave another bound of joy—involuntarily she stepped forward; what could be wanting to complete her happiness that day?
plural of “woman” — an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading The pews were full of women of all classes—they had been mostly reserved for them—the men finding standing room as best they could; and a buzz of admiration went round the church as Violet came into fall view.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Certainly it would have been hard to have named one single thing as lacking—not one.
an affirmative
From this reading It was Aymer—oh yes, it was Aymer—and how noble he looked now that he was dressed as became him.
