Every word is available to listen to. Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.
adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading This aristocratic money-lending proved a hopeless trade; it only plunged Derues deeper and deeper into the mire of financial disaster.
alive
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The noblemen either forgot to pay while they were alive, or on their death were found to be insolvent.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading This aristocratic money-lending proved a hopeless trade; it only plunged Derues deeper and deeper into the mire of financial disaster.
aristocratic
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This aristocratic money-lending proved a hopeless trade; it only plunged Derues deeper and deeper into the mire of financial disaster.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Derues was driven to ordering goods and merchandise on credit, and selling them at a lower price for ready money.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading The noblemen either forgot to pay while they were alive, or on their death were found to be insolvent.
begannounUS /began/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Victims of this treatment began to press him seriously for their money or their goods.
continuednounUS /ˈcontinued/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading Desperately he continued to fence them off with the long expected windfall of the Duplessis inheritance.
credit
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Derues was driven to ordering goods and merchandise on credit, and selling them at a lower price for ready money.
death
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The noblemen either forgot to pay while they were alive, or on their death were found to be insolvent.
deeper
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This aristocratic money-lending proved a hopeless trade; it only plunged Derues deeper and deeper into the mire of financial disaster.
Derues
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This aristocratic money-lending proved a hopeless trade; it only plunged Derues deeper and deeper into the mire of financial disaster.
Desperately
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Desperately he continued to fence them off with the long expected windfall of the Duplessis inheritance.
disaster
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This aristocratic money-lending proved a hopeless trade; it only plunged Derues deeper and deeper into the mire of financial disaster.
driven
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Derues was driven to ordering goods and merchandise on credit, and selling them at a lower price for ready money.
Duplessis
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Desperately he continued to fence them off with the long expected windfall of the Duplessis inheritance.
eitherdeterminerUS /ˈiːðər/
one or the other of two
From this reading The noblemen either forgot to pay while they were alive, or on their death were found to be insolvent.
expected
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Desperately he continued to fence them off with the long expected windfall of the Duplessis inheritance.
fence
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Desperately he continued to fence them off with the long expected windfall of the Duplessis inheritance.
financial
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This aristocratic money-lending proved a hopeless trade; it only plunged Derues deeper and deeper into the mire of financial disaster.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Derues was driven to ordering goods and merchandise on credit, and selling them at a lower price for ready money.
forgot
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The noblemen either forgot to pay while they were alive, or on their death were found to be insolvent.
foundnounUS /found/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The noblemen either forgot to pay while they were alive, or on their death were found to be insolvent.
goods
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Derues was driven to ordering goods and merchandise on credit, and selling them at a lower price for ready money.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Desperately he continued to fence them off with the long expected windfall of the Duplessis inheritance.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Victims of this treatment began to press him seriously for their money or their goods.
hopeless
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This aristocratic money-lending proved a hopeless trade; it only plunged Derues deeper and deeper into the mire of financial disaster.
inheritance
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Desperately he continued to fence them off with the long expected windfall of the Duplessis inheritance.
insolvent
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The noblemen either forgot to pay while they were alive, or on their death were found to be insolvent.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading This aristocratic money-lending proved a hopeless trade; it only plunged Derues deeper and deeper into the mire of financial disaster.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading This aristocratic money-lending proved a hopeless trade; it only plunged Derues deeper and deeper into the mire of financial disaster.
longnounUS /long/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Desperately he continued to fence them off with the long expected windfall of the Duplessis inheritance.
lower
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Derues was driven to ordering goods and merchandise on credit, and selling them at a lower price for ready money.
merchandise
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Derues was driven to ordering goods and merchandise on credit, and selling them at a lower price for ready money.
mire
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This aristocratic money-lending proved a hopeless trade; it only plunged Derues deeper and deeper into the mire of financial disaster.
money
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Derues was driven to ordering goods and merchandise on credit, and selling them at a lower price for ready money.
money-lending
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This aristocratic money-lending proved a hopeless trade; it only plunged Derues deeper and deeper into the mire of financial disaster.
noblemen
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The noblemen either forgot to pay while they were alive, or on their death were found to be insolvent.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading This aristocratic money-lending proved a hopeless trade; it only plunged Derues deeper and deeper into the mire of financial disaster.
off
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Desperately he continued to fence them off with the long expected windfall of the Duplessis inheritance.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The noblemen either forgot to pay while they were alive, or on their death were found to be insolvent.
only
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This aristocratic money-lending proved a hopeless trade; it only plunged Derues deeper and deeper into the mire of financial disaster.
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading The noblemen either forgot to pay while they were alive, or on their death were found to be insolvent.
ordering
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Derues was driven to ordering goods and merchandise on credit, and selling them at a lower price for ready money.
pay
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The noblemen either forgot to pay while they were alive, or on their death were found to be insolvent.
plunged
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This aristocratic money-lending proved a hopeless trade; it only plunged Derues deeper and deeper into the mire of financial disaster.
press
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Victims of this treatment began to press him seriously for their money or their goods.
price
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Derues was driven to ordering goods and merchandise on credit, and selling them at a lower price for ready money.
proved
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This aristocratic money-lending proved a hopeless trade; it only plunged Derues deeper and deeper into the mire of financial disaster.
ready
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Derues was driven to ordering goods and merchandise on credit, and selling them at a lower price for ready money.
selling
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Derues was driven to ordering goods and merchandise on credit, and selling them at a lower price for ready money.
seriously
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Victims of this treatment began to press him seriously for their money or their goods.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading This aristocratic money-lending proved a hopeless trade; it only plunged Derues deeper and deeper into the mire of financial disaster.
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading The noblemen either forgot to pay while they were alive, or on their death were found to be insolvent.
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Derues was driven to ordering goods and merchandise on credit, and selling them at a lower price for ready money.
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The noblemen either forgot to pay while they were alive, or on their death were found to be insolvent.
ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This aristocratic money-lending proved a hopeless trade; it only plunged Derues deeper and deeper into the mire of financial disaster.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The noblemen either forgot to pay while they were alive, or on their death were found to be insolvent.
trade
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This aristocratic money-lending proved a hopeless trade; it only plunged Derues deeper and deeper into the mire of financial disaster.
treatment
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Victims of this treatment began to press him seriously for their money or their goods.
Victims
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Victims of this treatment began to press him seriously for their money or their goods.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Derues was driven to ordering goods and merchandise on credit, and selling them at a lower price for ready money.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The noblemen either forgot to pay while they were alive, or on their death were found to be insolvent.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading The noblemen either forgot to pay while they were alive, or on their death were found to be insolvent.
windfall
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Desperately he continued to fence them off with the long expected windfall of the Duplessis inheritance.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading Desperately he continued to fence them off with the long expected windfall of the Duplessis inheritance.