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adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading AN old lady, in a high drawing-room, had had her chair moved close to the fire, where she sat knitting and warming her knees.
active
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From this reading She was far from the lamp, but though her eyes were fixed upon her active needles she was not looking at them.
affairs
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From this reading What she really saw was quite another train of affairs.
ANdeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading AN old lady, in a high drawing-room, had had her chair moved close to the fire, where she sat knitting and warming her knees.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading AN old lady, in a high drawing-room, had had her chair moved close to the fire, where she sat knitting and warming her knees.
anothernounUS /ˈanother/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading What she really saw was quite another train of affairs.
assumed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She was dressed in deep mourning; her face had a faded nobleness, tempered, however, by the somewhat illiberal compression assumed by her lips in obedience to something that was passing in her mind.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading She was far from the lamp, but though her eyes were fixed upon her active needles she was not looking at them.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading She was far from the lamp, but though her eyes were fixed upon her active needles she was not looking at them.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading She was dressed in deep mourning; her face had a faded nobleness, tempered, however, by the somewhat illiberal compression assumed by her lips in obedience to something that was passing in her mind.
chair
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading AN old lady, in a high drawing-room, had had her chair moved close to the fire, where she sat knitting and warming her knees.
CHAPERON
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From this reading THE CHAPERON.
close
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From this reading AN old lady, in a high drawing-room, had had her chair moved close to the fire, where she sat knitting and warming her knees.
compression
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She was dressed in deep mourning; her face had a faded nobleness, tempered, however, by the somewhat illiberal compression assumed by her lips in obedience to something that was passing in her mind.
deep
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She was dressed in deep mourning; her face had a faded nobleness, tempered, however, by the somewhat illiberal compression assumed by her lips in obedience to something that was passing in her mind.
drawing-room
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading AN old lady, in a high drawing-room, had had her chair moved close to the fire, where she sat knitting and warming her knees.
dressed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She was dressed in deep mourning; her face had a faded nobleness, tempered, however, by the somewhat illiberal compression assumed by her lips in obedience to something that was passing in her mind.
eyes
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She was far from the lamp, but though her eyes were fixed upon her active needles she was not looking at them.
face
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She was dressed in deep mourning; her face had a faded nobleness, tempered, however, by the somewhat illiberal compression assumed by her lips in obedience to something that was passing in her mind.
faded
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She was dressed in deep mourning; her face had a faded nobleness, tempered, however, by the somewhat illiberal compression assumed by her lips in obedience to something that was passing in her mind.
far
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She was far from the lamp, but though her eyes were fixed upon her active needles she was not looking at them.
fire
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading AN old lady, in a high drawing-room, had had her chair moved close to the fire, where she sat knitting and warming her knees.
fixed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She was far from the lamp, but though her eyes were fixed upon her active needles she was not looking at them.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading She was far from the lamp, but though her eyes were fixed upon her active needles she was not looking at them.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading AN old lady, in a high drawing-room, had had her chair moved close to the fire, where she sat knitting and warming her knees.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading AN old lady, in a high drawing-room, had had her chair moved close to the fire, where she sat knitting and warming her knees.
high
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading AN old lady, in a high drawing-room, had had her chair moved close to the fire, where she sat knitting and warming her knees.
howeveradverbUS /ˌhaʊˈevər/
used to add a contrasting statement
From this reading She was dressed in deep mourning; her face had a faded nobleness, tempered, however, by the somewhat illiberal compression assumed by her lips in obedience to something that was passing in her mind.
illiberal
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She was dressed in deep mourning; her face had a faded nobleness, tempered, however, by the somewhat illiberal compression assumed by her lips in obedience to something that was passing in her mind.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading AN old lady, in a high drawing-room, had had her chair moved close to the fire, where she sat knitting and warming her knees.
knees
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading AN old lady, in a high drawing-room, had had her chair moved close to the fire, where she sat knitting and warming her knees.
knitting
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading AN old lady, in a high drawing-room, had had her chair moved close to the fire, where she sat knitting and warming her knees.
lady
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading AN old lady, in a high drawing-room, had had her chair moved close to the fire, where she sat knitting and warming her knees.
lamp
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She was far from the lamp, but though her eyes were fixed upon her active needles she was not looking at them.
lips
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She was dressed in deep mourning; her face had a faded nobleness, tempered, however, by the somewhat illiberal compression assumed by her lips in obedience to something that was passing in her mind.
looking
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She was far from the lamp, but though her eyes were fixed upon her active needles she was not looking at them.
mindnounUS /mind/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading She was dressed in deep mourning; her face had a faded nobleness, tempered, however, by the somewhat illiberal compression assumed by her lips in obedience to something that was passing in her mind.
mourning
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She was dressed in deep mourning; her face had a faded nobleness, tempered, however, by the somewhat illiberal compression assumed by her lips in obedience to something that was passing in her mind.
moved
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading AN old lady, in a high drawing-room, had had her chair moved close to the fire, where she sat knitting and warming her knees.
needles
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She was far from the lamp, but though her eyes were fixed upon her active needles she was not looking at them.
nobleness
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She was dressed in deep mourning; her face had a faded nobleness, tempered, however, by the somewhat illiberal compression assumed by her lips in obedience to something that was passing in her mind.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading She was far from the lamp, but though her eyes were fixed upon her active needles she was not looking at them.
obedience
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She was dressed in deep mourning; her face had a faded nobleness, tempered, however, by the somewhat illiberal compression assumed by her lips in obedience to something that was passing in her mind.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading What she really saw was quite another train of affairs.
old
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading AN old lady, in a high drawing-room, had had her chair moved close to the fire, where she sat knitting and warming her knees.
passing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She was dressed in deep mourning; her face had a faded nobleness, tempered, however, by the somewhat illiberal compression assumed by her lips in obedience to something that was passing in her mind.
quitenounUS /quite/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading What she really saw was quite another train of affairs.
really
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading What she really saw was quite another train of affairs.
sat
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading AN old lady, in a high drawing-room, had had her chair moved close to the fire, where she sat knitting and warming her knees.
saw
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading What she really saw was quite another train of affairs.
shepronounUS /ʃiː/
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading AN old lady, in a high drawing-room, had had her chair moved close to the fire, where she sat knitting and warming her knees.
somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/
a thing, without saying which
From this reading She was dressed in deep mourning; her face had a faded nobleness, tempered, however, by the somewhat illiberal compression assumed by her lips in obedience to something that was passing in her mind.
somewhat
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She was dressed in deep mourning; her face had a faded nobleness, tempered, however, by the somewhat illiberal compression assumed by her lips in obedience to something that was passing in her mind.
tempered
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She was dressed in deep mourning; her face had a faded nobleness, tempered, however, by the somewhat illiberal compression assumed by her lips in obedience to something that was passing in her mind.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading She was dressed in deep mourning; her face had a faded nobleness, tempered, however, by the somewhat illiberal compression assumed by her lips in obedience to something that was passing in her mind.
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE CHAPERON.
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading She was far from the lamp, but though her eyes were fixed upon her active needles she was not looking at them.
thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/
in spite of the fact that
From this reading She was far from the lamp, but though her eyes were fixed upon her active needles she was not looking at them.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading AN old lady, in a high drawing-room, had had her chair moved close to the fire, where she sat knitting and warming her knees.
train
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading What she really saw was quite another train of affairs.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading She was far from the lamp, but though her eyes were fixed upon her active needles she was not looking at them.
warming
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading AN old lady, in a high drawing-room, had had her chair moved close to the fire, where she sat knitting and warming her knees.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading She was dressed in deep mourning; her face had a faded nobleness, tempered, however, by the somewhat illiberal compression assumed by her lips in obedience to something that was passing in her mind.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading She was far from the lamp, but though her eyes were fixed upon her active needles she was not looking at them.
WhatpronounUS /wʌt/
used to ask for information about something
From this reading What she really saw was quite another train of affairs.
whereconjunctionUS /wer/
in or at the place that
From this reading AN old lady, in a high drawing-room, had had her chair moved close to the fire, where she sat knitting and warming her knees.