Chapter X · Chapter 10

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading I only knew that it was raining by the fact that I felt a drop fall, first on my nose, and then on my hand, and heard something begin to patter upon the young, viscous leaves of the birch-trees as, drooping their curly branches overhead, they seemed to imbibe the pure, shining drops with an avidity which filled the whole avenue with scent.

(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but

From this reading For a moment they remained where they were, but almost instantly the rain became heavier.

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading I only knew that it was raining by the fact that I felt a drop fall, first on my nose, and then on my hand, and heard something begin to patter upon the young, viscous leaves of the birch-trees as, drooping their curly branches overhead, they seemed to imbibe the pure, shining drops with an avidity which filled the whole avenue with scent.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading I only knew that it was raining by the fact that I felt a drop fall, first on my nose, and then on my hand, and heard something begin to patter upon the young, viscous leaves of the birch-trees as, drooping their curly branches overhead, they seemed to imbibe the pure, shining drops with an avidity which filled the whole avenue with scent.

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading The rain overtook us just as we were turning into the avenue of birch-trees which led to the house, but it did not really wet us.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading We descended from the carriage, so as to reach the house the quicker through the garden, but found ourselves confronted at the entrance-door by four ladies, two of whom were knitting, one reading a book, and the fourth walking to and fro with a little dog.

the sister of your father or mother; the wife of your uncle

From this reading Thereupon, Dimitri began to present me to his mother, sister, and aunt, as well as to Lubov Sergievna.

a line of approach

From this reading The rain overtook us just as we were turning into the avenue of birch-trees which led to the house, but it did not really wet us.

a positive feeling of wanting to push ahead with something

From this reading I only knew that it was raining by the fact that I felt a drop fall, first on my nose, and then on my hand, and heard something begin to patter upon the young, viscous leaves of the birch-trees as, drooping their curly branches overhead, they seemed to imbibe the pure, shining drops with an avidity which filled the whole avenue with scent.

inflected form of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition

From this reading For a moment they remained where they were, but almost instantly the rain became heavier.

inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading Thereupon, Dimitri began to present me to his mother, sister, and aunt, as well as to Lubov Sergievna.

take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading I only knew that it was raining by the fact that I felt a drop fall, first on my nose, and then on my hand, and heard something begin to patter upon the young, viscous leaves of the birch-trees as, drooping their curly branches overhead, they seemed to imbibe the pure, shining drops with an avidity which filled the whole avenue with scent.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The rain overtook us just as we were turning into the avenue of birch-trees which led to the house, but it did not really wet us.

a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)

From this reading We descended from the carriage, so as to reach the house the quicker through the garden, but found ourselves confronted at the entrance-door by four ladies, two of whom were knitting, one reading a book, and the fourth walking to and fro with a little dog.

plural of “branch” — a division of some larger or more complex organization

From this reading I only knew that it was raining by the fact that I felt a drop fall, first on my nose, and then on my hand, and heard something begin to patter upon the young, viscous leaves of the birch-trees as, drooping their curly branches overhead, they seemed to imbibe the pure, shining drops with an avidity which filled the whole avenue with scent.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading The rain overtook us just as we were turning into the avenue of birch-trees which led to the house, but it did not really wet us.

showing who or what does the action

From this reading I only knew that it was raining by the fact that I felt a drop fall, first on my nose, and then on my hand, and heard something begin to patter upon the young, viscous leaves of the birch-trees as, drooping their curly branches overhead, they seemed to imbibe the pure, shining drops with an avidity which filled the whole avenue with scent.

a railcar where passengers ride

From this reading We descended from the carriage, so as to reach the house the quicker through the garden, but found ourselves confronted at the entrance-door by four ladies, two of whom were knitting, one reading a book, and the fourth walking to and fro with a little dog.

past form of “confront” — oppose, as in hostility or a competition

From this reading We descended from the carriage, so as to reach the house the quicker through the garden, but found ourselves confronted at the entrance-door by four ladies, two of whom were knitting, one reading a book, and the fourth walking to and fro with a little dog.

(of hair) having curls or waves

From this reading I only knew that it was raining by the fact that I felt a drop fall, first on my nose, and then on my hand, and heard something begin to patter upon the young, viscous leaves of the birch-trees as, drooping their curly branches overhead, they seemed to imbibe the pure, shining drops with an avidity which filled the whole avenue with scent.

past form of “descend” — move downward and lower, but not necessarily all the way

From this reading We descended from the carriage, so as to reach the house the quicker through the garden, but found ourselves confronted at the entrance-door by four ladies, two of whom were knitting, one reading a book, and the fourth walking to and fro with a little dog.

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading The rain overtook us just as we were turning into the avenue of birch-trees which led to the house, but it did not really wet us.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Thereupon, Dimitri began to present me to his mother, sister, and aunt, as well as to Lubov Sergievna.

a member of the genus Canis (probably descended from the common wolf) that has been domesticated by man since prehistoric times; occurs in many breeds

From this reading We descended from the carriage, so as to reach the house the quicker through the garden, but found ourselves confronted at the entrance-door by four ladies, two of whom were knitting, one reading a book, and the fourth walking to and fro with a little dog.

weak from exhaustion

From this reading I only knew that it was raining by the fact that I felt a drop fall, first on my nose, and then on my hand, and heard something begin to patter upon the young, viscous leaves of the birch-trees as, drooping their curly branches overhead, they seemed to imbibe the pure, shining drops with an avidity which filled the whole avenue with scent.

let fall to the ground

From this reading I only knew that it was raining by the fact that I felt a drop fall, first on my nose, and then on my hand, and heard something begin to patter upon the young, viscous leaves of the birch-trees as, drooping their curly branches overhead, they seemed to imbibe the pure, shining drops with an avidity which filled the whole avenue with scent.

plural of “drop” — a shape that is spherical and small

From this reading I only knew that it was raining by the fact that I felt a drop fall, first on my nose, and then on my hand, and heard something begin to patter upon the young, viscous leaves of the birch-trees as, drooping their curly branches overhead, they seemed to imbibe the pure, shining drops with an avidity which filled the whole avenue with scent.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading We descended from the carriage, so as to reach the house the quicker through the garden, but found ourselves confronted at the entrance-door by four ladies, two of whom were knitting, one reading a book, and the fourth walking to and fro with a little dog.

a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred

From this reading I only knew that it was raining by the fact that I felt a drop fall, first on my nose, and then on my hand, and heard something begin to patter upon the young, viscous leaves of the birch-trees as, drooping their curly branches overhead, they seemed to imbibe the pure, shining drops with an avidity which filled the whole avenue with scent.

descend in free fall under the influence of gravity

From this reading I only knew that it was raining by the fact that I felt a drop fall, first on my nose, and then on my hand, and heard something begin to patter upon the young, viscous leaves of the birch-trees as, drooping their curly branches overhead, they seemed to imbibe the pure, shining drops with an avidity which filled the whole avenue with scent.

mat together and make felt-like

From this reading I only knew that it was raining by the fact that I felt a drop fall, first on my nose, and then on my hand, and heard something begin to patter upon the young, viscous leaves of the birch-trees as, drooping their curly branches overhead, they seemed to imbibe the pure, shining drops with an avidity which filled the whole avenue with scent.

(usually followed by “with” or used as a combining form) generously supplied with

From this reading I only knew that it was raining by the fact that I felt a drop fall, first on my nose, and then on my hand, and heard something begin to patter upon the young, viscous leaves of the birch-trees as, drooping their curly branches overhead, they seemed to imbibe the pure, shining drops with an avidity which filled the whole avenue with scent.

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading I only knew that it was raining by the fact that I felt a drop fall, first on my nose, and then on my hand, and heard something begin to patter upon the young, viscous leaves of the birch-trees as, drooping their curly branches overhead, they seemed to imbibe the pure, shining drops with an avidity which filled the whole avenue with scent.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading For a moment they remained where they were, but almost instantly the rain became heavier.

set up or found

From this reading We descended from the carriage, so as to reach the house the quicker through the garden, but found ourselves confronted at the entrance-door by four ladies, two of whom were knitting, one reading a book, and the fourth walking to and fro with a little dog.

the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one

From this reading We descended from the carriage, so as to reach the house the quicker through the garden, but found ourselves confronted at the entrance-door by four ladies, two of whom were knitting, one reading a book, and the fourth walking to and fro with a little dog.

following the third position; number four in a countable series

From this reading We descended from the carriage, so as to reach the house the quicker through the garden, but found ourselves confronted at the entrance-door by four ladies, two of whom were knitting, one reading a book, and the fourth walking to and fro with a little dog.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading We descended from the carriage, so as to reach the house the quicker through the garden, but found ourselves confronted at the entrance-door by four ladies, two of whom were knitting, one reading a book, and the fourth walking to and fro with a little dog.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading We descended from the carriage, so as to reach the house the quicker through the garden, but found ourselves confronted at the entrance-door by four ladies, two of whom were knitting, one reading a book, and the fourth walking to and fro with a little dog.

a plot of ground where plants are cultivated

From this reading We descended from the carriage, so as to reach the house the quicker through the garden, but found ourselves confronted at the entrance-door by four ladies, two of whom were knitting, one reading a book, and the fourth walking to and fro with a little dog.

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

From this reading I only knew that it was raining by the fact that I felt a drop fall, first on my nose, and then on my hand, and heard something begin to patter upon the young, viscous leaves of the birch-trees as, drooping their curly branches overhead, they seemed to imbibe the pure, shining drops with an avidity which filled the whole avenue with scent.

detected or perceived by the sense of hearing

From this reading I only knew that it was raining by the fact that I felt a drop fall, first on my nose, and then on my hand, and heard something begin to patter upon the young, viscous leaves of the birch-trees as, drooping their curly branches overhead, they seemed to imbibe the pure, shining drops with an avidity which filled the whole avenue with scent.

comparative of “heavy” — of comparatively great physical weight or density

From this reading For a moment they remained where they were, but almost instantly the rain became heavier.

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading Thereupon, Dimitri began to present me to his mother, sister, and aunt, as well as to Lubov Sergievna.

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading The rain overtook us just as we were turning into the avenue of birch-trees which led to the house, but it did not really wet us.

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading I only knew that it was raining by the fact that I felt a drop fall, first on my nose, and then on my hand, and heard something begin to patter upon the young, viscous leaves of the birch-trees as, drooping their curly branches overhead, they seemed to imbibe the pure, shining drops with an avidity which filled the whole avenue with scent.

take in, also metaphorically

From this reading I only knew that it was raining by the fact that I felt a drop fall, first on my nose, and then on my hand, and heard something begin to patter upon the young, viscous leaves of the birch-trees as, drooping their curly branches overhead, they seemed to imbibe the pure, shining drops with an avidity which filled the whole avenue with scent.

without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening

From this reading For a moment they remained where they were, but almost instantly the rain became heavier.

moving to the inside of something

From this reading The rain overtook us just as we were turning into the avenue of birch-trees which led to the house, but it did not really wet us.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading The rain overtook us just as we were turning into the avenue of birch-trees which led to the house, but it did not really wet us.

and nothing more

From this reading The rain overtook us just as we were turning into the avenue of birch-trees which led to the house, but it did not really wet us.

inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading I only knew that it was raining by the fact that I felt a drop fall, first on my nose, and then on my hand, and heard something begin to patter upon the young, viscous leaves of the birch-trees as, drooping their curly branches overhead, they seemed to imbibe the pure, shining drops with an avidity which filled the whole avenue with scent.

needlework created by interlacing yarn in a series of connected loops using straight eyeless needles or by machine

From this reading We descended from the carriage, so as to reach the house the quicker through the garden, but found ourselves confronted at the entrance-door by four ladies, two of whom were knitting, one reading a book, and the fourth walking to and fro with a little dog.

plural of “lady” — a polite name for any woman

From this reading We descended from the carriage, so as to reach the house the quicker through the garden, but found ourselves confronted at the entrance-door by four ladies, two of whom were knitting, one reading a book, and the fourth walking to and fro with a little dog.

plural of “leaf” — the main organ of photosynthesis and transpiration in higher plants

From this reading I only knew that it was raining by the fact that I felt a drop fall, first on my nose, and then on my hand, and heard something begin to patter upon the young, viscous leaves of the birch-trees as, drooping their curly branches overhead, they seemed to imbibe the pure, shining drops with an avidity which filled the whole avenue with scent.

diode such that light emitted at a p-n junction is proportional to the bias current; color depends on the material used

From this reading The rain overtook us just as we were turning into the avenue of birch-trees which led to the house, but it did not really wet us.

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading We descended from the carriage, so as to reach the house the quicker through the garden, but found ourselves confronted at the entrance-door by four ladies, two of whom were knitting, one reading a book, and the fourth walking to and fro with a little dog.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Thereupon, Dimitri began to present me to his mother, sister, and aunt, as well as to Lubov Sergievna.

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Thereupon, Dimitri began to present me to his mother, sister, and aunt, as well as to Lubov Sergievna.

a particular point in time

From this reading For a moment they remained where they were, but almost instantly the rain became heavier.

a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)

From this reading Thereupon, Dimitri began to present me to his mother, sister, and aunt, as well as to Lubov Sergievna.

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading I only knew that it was raining by the fact that I felt a drop fall, first on my nose, and then on my hand, and heard something begin to patter upon the young, viscous leaves of the birch-trees as, drooping their curly branches overhead, they seemed to imbibe the pure, shining drops with an avidity which filled the whole avenue with scent.

the organ of smell and entrance to the respiratory tract; the prominent part of the face of man or other mammals

From this reading I only knew that it was raining by the fact that I felt a drop fall, first on my nose, and then on my hand, and heard something begin to patter upon the young, viscous leaves of the birch-trees as, drooping their curly branches overhead, they seemed to imbibe the pure, shining drops with an avidity which filled the whole avenue with scent.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading The rain overtook us just as we were turning into the avenue of birch-trees which led to the house, but it did not really wet us.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The rain overtook us just as we were turning into the avenue of birch-trees which led to the house, but it did not really wet us.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading I only knew that it was raining by the fact that I felt a drop fall, first on my nose, and then on my hand, and heard something begin to patter upon the young, viscous leaves of the birch-trees as, drooping their curly branches overhead, they seemed to imbibe the pure, shining drops with an avidity which filled the whole avenue with scent.

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading We descended from the carriage, so as to reach the house the quicker through the garden, but found ourselves confronted at the entrance-door by four ladies, two of whom were knitting, one reading a book, and the fourth walking to and fro with a little dog.

and nothing more

From this reading I only knew that it was raining by the fact that I felt a drop fall, first on my nose, and then on my hand, and heard something begin to patter upon the young, viscous leaves of the birch-trees as, drooping their curly branches overhead, they seemed to imbibe the pure, shining drops with an avidity which filled the whole avenue with scent.

used when we are both doing the action and receiving it

From this reading We descended from the carriage, so as to reach the house the quicker through the garden, but found ourselves confronted at the entrance-door by four ladies, two of whom were knitting, one reading a book, and the fourth walking to and fro with a little dog.

above your head; in the sky

From this reading I only knew that it was raining by the fact that I felt a drop fall, first on my nose, and then on my hand, and heard something begin to patter upon the young, viscous leaves of the birch-trees as, drooping their curly branches overhead, they seemed to imbibe the pure, shining drops with an avidity which filled the whole avenue with scent.

inflected form of “overtake” — catch up with and possibly overtake

From this reading The rain overtook us just as we were turning into the avenue of birch-trees which led to the house, but it did not really wet us.

plausible glib talk (especially useful to a salesperson)

From this reading I only knew that it was raining by the fact that I felt a drop fall, first on my nose, and then on my hand, and heard something begin to patter upon the young, viscous leaves of the birch-trees as, drooping their curly branches overhead, they seemed to imbibe the pure, shining drops with an avidity which filled the whole avenue with scent.

give an exhibition of to an interested audience

From this reading Thereupon, Dimitri began to present me to his mother, sister, and aunt, as well as to Lubov Sergievna.

free of extraneous elements of any kind

From this reading I only knew that it was raining by the fact that I felt a drop fall, first on my nose, and then on my hand, and heard something begin to patter upon the young, viscous leaves of the birch-trees as, drooping their curly branches overhead, they seemed to imbibe the pure, shining drops with an avidity which filled the whole avenue with scent.

more quickly

From this reading We descended from the carriage, so as to reach the house the quicker through the garden, but found ourselves confronted at the entrance-door by four ladies, two of whom were knitting, one reading a book, and the fourth walking to and fro with a little dog.

water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere

From this reading The rain overtook us just as we were turning into the avenue of birch-trees which led to the house, but it did not really wet us.

falling in drops or as if falling like rain

From this reading I only knew that it was raining by the fact that I felt a drop fall, first on my nose, and then on my hand, and heard something begin to patter upon the young, viscous leaves of the birch-trees as, drooping their curly branches overhead, they seemed to imbibe the pure, shining drops with an avidity which filled the whole avenue with scent.

reach a destination, either real or abstract

From this reading We descended from the carriage, so as to reach the house the quicker through the garden, but found ourselves confronted at the entrance-door by four ladies, two of whom were knitting, one reading a book, and the fourth walking to and fro with a little dog.

the cognitive process of understanding a written linguistic message

From this reading We descended from the carriage, so as to reach the house the quicker through the garden, but found ourselves confronted at the entrance-door by four ladies, two of whom were knitting, one reading a book, and the fourth walking to and fro with a little dog.

in accordance with truth or fact or reality

From this reading The rain overtook us just as we were turning into the avenue of birch-trees which led to the house, but it did not really wet us.

past form of “remain” — stay the same; remain in a certain state

From this reading For a moment they remained where they were, but almost instantly the rain became heavier.

A distinctive smell or aroma.

From this reading I only knew that it was raining by the fact that I felt a drop fall, first on my nose, and then on my hand, and heard something begin to patter upon the young, viscous leaves of the birch-trees as, drooping their curly branches overhead, they seemed to imbibe the pure, shining drops with an avidity which filled the whole avenue with scent.

past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading I only knew that it was raining by the fact that I felt a drop fall, first on my nose, and then on my hand, and heard something begin to patter upon the young, viscous leaves of the birch-trees as, drooping their curly branches overhead, they seemed to imbibe the pure, shining drops with an avidity which filled the whole avenue with scent.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Thereupon, Dimitri began to present me to his mother, sister, and aunt, as well as to Lubov Sergievna.

marked by exceptional merit

From this reading I only knew that it was raining by the fact that I felt a drop fall, first on my nose, and then on my hand, and heard something begin to patter upon the young, viscous leaves of the birch-trees as, drooping their curly branches overhead, they seemed to imbibe the pure, shining drops with an avidity which filled the whole avenue with scent.

a female person who has the same parents as another person

From this reading Thereupon, Dimitri began to present me to his mother, sister, and aunt, as well as to Lubov Sergievna.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading We descended from the carriage, so as to reach the house the quicker through the garden, but found ourselves confronted at the entrance-door by four ladies, two of whom were knitting, one reading a book, and the fourth walking to and fro with a little dog.

a thing, without saying which

From this reading I only knew that it was raining by the fact that I felt a drop fall, first on my nose, and then on my hand, and heard something begin to patter upon the young, viscous leaves of the birch-trees as, drooping their curly branches overhead, they seemed to imbibe the pure, shining drops with an avidity which filled the whole avenue with scent.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading I only knew that it was raining by the fact that I felt a drop fall, first on my nose, and then on my hand, and heard something begin to patter upon the young, viscous leaves of the birch-trees as, drooping their curly branches overhead, they seemed to imbibe the pure, shining drops with an avidity which filled the whole avenue with scent.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading The rain overtook us just as we were turning into the avenue of birch-trees which led to the house, but it did not really wet us.

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading I only knew that it was raining by the fact that I felt a drop fall, first on my nose, and then on my hand, and heard something begin to patter upon the young, viscous leaves of the birch-trees as, drooping their curly branches overhead, they seemed to imbibe the pure, shining drops with an avidity which filled the whole avenue with scent.

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading I only knew that it was raining by the fact that I felt a drop fall, first on my nose, and then on my hand, and heard something begin to patter upon the young, viscous leaves of the birch-trees as, drooping their curly branches overhead, they seemed to imbibe the pure, shining drops with an avidity which filled the whole avenue with scent.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Thereupon, Dimitri began to present me to his mother, sister, and aunt, as well as to Lubov Sergievna.

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading I only knew that it was raining by the fact that I felt a drop fall, first on my nose, and then on my hand, and heard something begin to patter upon the young, viscous leaves of the birch-trees as, drooping their curly branches overhead, they seemed to imbibe the pure, shining drops with an avidity which filled the whole avenue with scent.

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading We descended from the carriage, so as to reach the house the quicker through the garden, but found ourselves confronted at the entrance-door by four ladies, two of whom were knitting, one reading a book, and the fourth walking to and fro with a little dog.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading The rain overtook us just as we were turning into the avenue of birch-trees which led to the house, but it did not really wet us.

the act of changing or reversing the direction of the course

From this reading The rain overtook us just as we were turning into the avenue of birch-trees which led to the house, but it did not really wet us.

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading We descended from the carriage, so as to reach the house the quicker through the garden, but found ourselves confronted at the entrance-door by four ladies, two of whom were knitting, one reading a book, and the fourth walking to and fro with a little dog.

a formal word for “on”

From this reading I only knew that it was raining by the fact that I felt a drop fall, first on my nose, and then on my hand, and heard something begin to patter upon the young, viscous leaves of the birch-trees as, drooping their curly branches overhead, they seemed to imbibe the pure, shining drops with an avidity which filled the whole avenue with scent.

the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading The rain overtook us just as we were turning into the avenue of birch-trees which led to the house, but it did not really wet us.

having a relatively high resistance to flow

From this reading I only knew that it was raining by the fact that I felt a drop fall, first on my nose, and then on my hand, and heard something begin to patter upon the young, viscous leaves of the birch-trees as, drooping their curly branches overhead, they seemed to imbibe the pure, shining drops with an avidity which filled the whole avenue with scent.

close enough to be walked to

From this reading We descended from the carriage, so as to reach the house the quicker through the garden, but found ourselves confronted at the entrance-door by four ladies, two of whom were knitting, one reading a book, and the fourth walking to and fro with a little dog.

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading I only knew that it was raining by the fact that I felt a drop fall, first on my nose, and then on my hand, and heard something begin to patter upon the young, viscous leaves of the birch-trees as, drooping their curly branches overhead, they seemed to imbibe the pure, shining drops with an avidity which filled the whole avenue with scent.

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading The rain overtook us just as we were turning into the avenue of birch-trees which led to the house, but it did not really wet us.

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading Thereupon, Dimitri began to present me to his mother, sister, and aunt, as well as to Lubov Sergievna.

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading The rain overtook us just as we were turning into the avenue of birch-trees which led to the house, but it did not really wet us.

covered or soaked with a liquid such as water

From this reading The rain overtook us just as we were turning into the avenue of birch-trees which led to the house, but it did not really wet us.

in or at the place that

From this reading For a moment they remained where they were, but almost instantly the rain became heavier.

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading The rain overtook us just as we were turning into the avenue of birch-trees which led to the house, but it did not really wet us.

including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete

From this reading I only knew that it was raining by the fact that I felt a drop fall, first on my nose, and then on my hand, and heard something begin to patter upon the young, viscous leaves of the birch-trees as, drooping their curly branches overhead, they seemed to imbibe the pure, shining drops with an avidity which filled the whole avenue with scent.

the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading We descended from the carriage, so as to reach the house the quicker through the garden, but found ourselves confronted at the entrance-door by four ladies, two of whom were knitting, one reading a book, and the fourth walking to and fro with a little dog.

in the company of; together with

From this reading I only knew that it was raining by the fact that I felt a drop fall, first on my nose, and then on my hand, and heard something begin to patter upon the young, viscous leaves of the birch-trees as, drooping their curly branches overhead, they seemed to imbibe the pure, shining drops with an avidity which filled the whole avenue with scent.

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading I only knew that it was raining by the fact that I felt a drop fall, first on my nose, and then on my hand, and heard something begin to patter upon the young, viscous leaves of the birch-trees as, drooping their curly branches overhead, they seemed to imbibe the pure, shining drops with an avidity which filled the whole avenue with scent.