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Chapter XX
“Phœbe, dear,” cried Uncle John, “I am the happiest of men!” Phœbe was killing time—yet pleasantly, with the aid of “Airy, Fairy Lillian.” She kept it boldly in her lap as this more formidable of her uncles paused beside her chair. She was not rebellious now, but she was determined. Of course Uncle John would be horrified if he were to know about her plans for the coming evening.
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, audio, and collocations from this reading.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading “Of course Uncle John would be horrified if he were to know about her plans for the coming evening.”
next to; at the side of
From this reading “She kept it boldly in her lap as this more formidable of her uncles paused beside her chair.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “Of course Uncle John would be horrified if he were to know about her plans for the coming evening.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading ““Phœbe, dear,” cried Uncle John, “I am the happiest of men!””
having firmly decided to do something
From this reading “She was not rebellious now, but she was determined.”
very difficult to deal with or overcome
From this reading “She kept it boldly in her lap as this more formidable of her uncles paused beside her chair.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading ““Phœbe, dear,” cried Uncle John, “I am the happiest of men!””
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “Of course Uncle John would be horrified if he were to know about her plans for the coming evening.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “Phœbe was killing time—yet pleasantly, with the aid of “Airy, Fairy Lillian.””
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading “Of course Uncle John would be horrified if he were to know about her plans for the coming evening.”
but in spite of that
From this reading “Phœbe was killing time—yet pleasantly, with the aid of “Airy, Fairy Lillian.””
Every word is available to listen to. Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Of course Uncle John would be horrified if he were to know about her plans for the coming evening.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Phœbe was killing time—yet pleasantly, with the aid of “Airy, Fairy Lillian.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Phœbe was killing time—yet pleasantly, with the aid of “Airy, Fairy Lillian.”
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading “Phœbe, dear,” cried Uncle John, “I am the happiest of men!”
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading She kept it boldly in her lap as this more formidable of her uncles paused beside her chair.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Of course Uncle John would be horrified if he were to know about her plans for the coming evening.
next to; at the side of
From this reading She kept it boldly in her lap as this more formidable of her uncles paused beside her chair.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She kept it boldly in her lap as this more formidable of her uncles paused beside her chair.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading She was not rebellious now, but she was determined.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She kept it boldly in her lap as this more formidable of her uncles paused beside her chair.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Of course Uncle John would be horrified if he were to know about her plans for the coming evening.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Of course Uncle John would be horrified if he were to know about her plans for the coming evening.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “Phœbe, dear,” cried Uncle John, “I am the happiest of men!”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Phœbe, dear,” cried Uncle John, “I am the happiest of men!”
having firmly decided to do something
From this reading She was not rebellious now, but she was determined.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Of course Uncle John would be horrified if he were to know about her plans for the coming evening.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Phœbe was killing time—yet pleasantly, with the aid of “Airy, Fairy Lillian.”
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Of course Uncle John would be horrified if he were to know about her plans for the coming evening.
very difficult to deal with or overcome
From this reading She kept it boldly in her lap as this more formidable of her uncles paused beside her chair.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Phœbe, dear,” cried Uncle John, “I am the happiest of men!”
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Of course Uncle John would be horrified if he were to know about her plans for the coming evening.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading She kept it boldly in her lap as this more formidable of her uncles paused beside her chair.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Of course Uncle John would be horrified if he were to know about her plans for the coming evening.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “Phœbe, dear,” cried Uncle John, “I am the happiest of men!”
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading Of course Uncle John would be horrified if he were to know about her plans for the coming evening.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading She kept it boldly in her lap as this more formidable of her uncles paused beside her chair.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading She kept it boldly in her lap as this more formidable of her uncles paused beside her chair.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Phœbe, dear,” cried Uncle John, “I am the happiest of men!”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She kept it boldly in her lap as this more formidable of her uncles paused beside her chair.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Phœbe was killing time—yet pleasantly, with the aid of “Airy, Fairy Lillian.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Of course Uncle John would be horrified if he were to know about her plans for the coming evening.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She kept it boldly in her lap as this more formidable of her uncles paused beside her chair.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Phœbe was killing time—yet pleasantly, with the aid of “Airy, Fairy Lillian.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Phœbe, dear,” cried Uncle John, “I am the happiest of men!”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She kept it boldly in her lap as this more formidable of her uncles paused beside her chair.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading She was not rebellious now, but she was determined.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She was not rebellious now, but she was determined.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “Phœbe, dear,” cried Uncle John, “I am the happiest of men!”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She kept it boldly in her lap as this more formidable of her uncles paused beside her chair.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Phœbe, dear,” cried Uncle John, “I am the happiest of men!”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Of course Uncle John would be horrified if he were to know about her plans for the coming evening.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Phœbe was killing time—yet pleasantly, with the aid of “Airy, Fairy Lillian.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She was not rebellious now, but she was determined.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She kept it boldly in her lap as this more formidable of her uncles paused beside her chair.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “Phœbe, dear,” cried Uncle John, “I am the happiest of men!”
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading She kept it boldly in her lap as this more formidable of her uncles paused beside her chair.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Phœbe was killing time—yet pleasantly, with the aid of “Airy, Fairy Lillian.”
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Of course Uncle John would be horrified if he were to know about her plans for the coming evening.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Phœbe, dear,” cried Uncle John, “I am the happiest of men!”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She kept it boldly in her lap as this more formidable of her uncles paused beside her chair.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Phœbe was killing time—yet pleasantly, with the aid of “Airy, Fairy Lillian.”
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Of course Uncle John would be horrified if he were to know about her plans for the coming evening.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Phœbe was killing time—yet pleasantly, with the aid of “Airy, Fairy Lillian.”
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Of course Uncle John would be horrified if he were to know about her plans for the coming evening.
but in spite of that
From this reading Phœbe was killing time—yet pleasantly, with the aid of “Airy, Fairy Lillian.”
