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 Nothing in a hurry, sure.
act
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There sat Marco, petrified in the act of trying to get the hang of his miller-gun--turned to stone, just in the attitude he was in when my pile-driver fell, the toy still gripped in his unconscious fingers.
againnounUS /again/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading I must get up a diversion; anything to employ me while I could think, and while these poor fellows could have a chance to come to life again.
ANDconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading THE YANKEE AND THE KING SOLD AS SLAVES Well, what had I better do?
anythingpronounUS /ˈeniθɪŋ/
any thing at all
From this reading I must get up a diversion; anything to employ me while I could think, and while these poor fellows could have a chance to come to life again.
ASconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading THE YANKEE AND THE KING SOLD AS SLAVES Well, what had I better do?
attitude
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There sat Marco, petrified in the act of trying to get the hang of his miller-gun--turned to stone, just in the attitude he was in when my pile-driver fell, the toy still gripped in his unconscious fingers.
better
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE YANKEE AND THE KING SOLD AS SLAVES Well, what had I better do?
chance
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I must get up a diversion; anything to employ me while I could think, and while these poor fellows could have a chance to come to life again.
comenounUS /come/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading I must get up a diversion; anything to employ me while I could think, and while these poor fellows could have a chance to come to life again.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading I must get up a diversion; anything to employ me while I could think, and while these poor fellows could have a chance to come to life again.
diversion
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I must get up a diversion; anything to employ me while I could think, and while these poor fellows could have a chance to come to life again.
doauxiliary verbUS /duː/
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading THE YANKEE AND THE KING SOLD AS SLAVES Well, what had I better do?
employ
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From this reading I must get up a diversion; anything to employ me while I could think, and while these poor fellows could have a chance to come to life again.
explain
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From this reading So I took it from him and proposed to explain its mystery.
fell
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There sat Marco, petrified in the act of trying to get the hang of his miller-gun--turned to stone, just in the attitude he was in when my pile-driver fell, the toy still gripped in his unconscious fingers.
fellows
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I must get up a diversion; anything to employ me while I could think, and while these poor fellows could have a chance to come to life again.
fingers
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There sat Marco, petrified in the act of trying to get the hang of his miller-gun--turned to stone, just in the attitude he was in when my pile-driver fell, the toy still gripped in his unconscious fingers.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading So I took it from him and proposed to explain its mystery.
get
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I must get up a diversion; anything to employ me while I could think, and while these poor fellows could have a chance to come to life again.
gripped
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There sat Marco, petrified in the act of trying to get the hang of his miller-gun--turned to stone, just in the attitude he was in when my pile-driver fell, the toy still gripped in his unconscious fingers.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading THE YANKEE AND THE KING SOLD AS SLAVES Well, what had I better do?
hang
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There sat Marco, petrified in the act of trying to get the hang of his miller-gun--turned to stone, just in the attitude he was in when my pile-driver fell, the toy still gripped in his unconscious fingers.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading I must get up a diversion; anything to employ me while I could think, and while these poor fellows could have a chance to come to life again.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading There sat Marco, petrified in the act of trying to get the hang of his miller-gun--turned to stone, just in the attitude he was in when my pile-driver fell, the toy still gripped in his unconscious fingers.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading So I took it from him and proposed to explain its mystery.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading There sat Marco, petrified in the act of trying to get the hang of his miller-gun--turned to stone, just in the attitude he was in when my pile-driver fell, the toy still gripped in his unconscious fingers.
hurry
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Nothing in a hurry, sure.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading THE YANKEE AND THE KING SOLD AS SLAVES Well, what had I better do?
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Nothing in a hurry, sure.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading So I took it from him and proposed to explain its mystery.
itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading So I took it from him and proposed to explain its mystery.
just
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There sat Marco, petrified in the act of trying to get the hang of his miller-gun--turned to stone, just in the attitude he was in when my pile-driver fell, the toy still gripped in his unconscious fingers.
KING
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE YANKEE AND THE KING SOLD AS SLAVES Well, what had I better do?
lifenounUS /life/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading I must get up a diversion; anything to employ me while I could think, and while these poor fellows could have a chance to come to life again.
Marco
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There sat Marco, petrified in the act of trying to get the hang of his miller-gun--turned to stone, just in the attitude he was in when my pile-driver fell, the toy still gripped in his unconscious fingers.
mepronounUS /miː/
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading I must get up a diversion; anything to employ me while I could think, and while these poor fellows could have a chance to come to life again.
miller-gun
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There sat Marco, petrified in the act of trying to get the hang of his miller-gun--turned to stone, just in the attitude he was in when my pile-driver fell, the toy still gripped in his unconscious fingers.
mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading I must get up a diversion; anything to employ me while I could think, and while these poor fellows could have a chance to come to life again.
mydeterminerUS /maɪ/
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading There sat Marco, petrified in the act of trying to get the hang of his miller-gun--turned to stone, just in the attitude he was in when my pile-driver fell, the toy still gripped in his unconscious fingers.
mystery
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading So I took it from him and proposed to explain its mystery.
NothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/
not one thing; not anything
From this reading Nothing in a hurry, sure.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading There sat Marco, petrified in the act of trying to get the hang of his miller-gun--turned to stone, just in the attitude he was in when my pile-driver fell, the toy still gripped in his unconscious fingers.
petrified
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There sat Marco, petrified in the act of trying to get the hang of his miller-gun--turned to stone, just in the attitude he was in when my pile-driver fell, the toy still gripped in his unconscious fingers.
pile-driver
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There sat Marco, petrified in the act of trying to get the hang of his miller-gun--turned to stone, just in the attitude he was in when my pile-driver fell, the toy still gripped in his unconscious fingers.
poornounUS /poor/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading I must get up a diversion; anything to employ me while I could think, and while these poor fellows could have a chance to come to life again.
proposed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading So I took it from him and proposed to explain its mystery.
sat
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There sat Marco, petrified in the act of trying to get the hang of his miller-gun--turned to stone, just in the attitude he was in when my pile-driver fell, the toy still gripped in his unconscious fingers.
SLAVES
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE YANKEE AND THE KING SOLD AS SLAVES Well, what had I better do?
SoconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading So I took it from him and proposed to explain its mystery.
SOLD
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE YANKEE AND THE KING SOLD AS SLAVES Well, what had I better do?
stillnounUS /still/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading There sat Marco, petrified in the act of trying to get the hang of his miller-gun--turned to stone, just in the attitude he was in when my pile-driver fell, the toy still gripped in his unconscious fingers.
stone
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There sat Marco, petrified in the act of trying to get the hang of his miller-gun--turned to stone, just in the attitude he was in when my pile-driver fell, the toy still gripped in his unconscious fingers.
surenounUS /sure/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Nothing in a hurry, sure.
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE YANKEE AND THE KING SOLD AS SLAVES Well, what had I better do?
There
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There sat Marco, petrified in the act of trying to get the hang of his miller-gun--turned to stone, just in the attitude he was in when my pile-driver fell, the toy still gripped in his unconscious fingers.
thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading I must get up a diversion; anything to employ me while I could think, and while these poor fellows could have a chance to come to life again.
thinknounUS /think/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading I must get up a diversion; anything to employ me while I could think, and while these poor fellows could have a chance to come to life again.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I must get up a diversion; anything to employ me while I could think, and while these poor fellows could have a chance to come to life again.
tooknounUS /took/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading So I took it from him and proposed to explain its mystery.
toy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There sat Marco, petrified in the act of trying to get the hang of his miller-gun--turned to stone, just in the attitude he was in when my pile-driver fell, the toy still gripped in his unconscious fingers.
trying
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There sat Marco, petrified in the act of trying to get the hang of his miller-gun--turned to stone, just in the attitude he was in when my pile-driver fell, the toy still gripped in his unconscious fingers.
turned
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There sat Marco, petrified in the act of trying to get the hang of his miller-gun--turned to stone, just in the attitude he was in when my pile-driver fell, the toy still gripped in his unconscious fingers.
unconscious
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There sat Marco, petrified in the act of trying to get the hang of his miller-gun--turned to stone, just in the attitude he was in when my pile-driver fell, the toy still gripped in his unconscious fingers.
up
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I must get up a diversion; anything to employ me while I could think, and while these poor fellows could have a chance to come to life again.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There sat Marco, petrified in the act of trying to get the hang of his miller-gun--turned to stone, just in the attitude he was in when my pile-driver fell, the toy still gripped in his unconscious fingers.
Well
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE YANKEE AND THE KING SOLD AS SLAVES Well, what had I better do?
whatpronounUS /wʌt/
used to ask for information about something
From this reading THE YANKEE AND THE KING SOLD AS SLAVES Well, what had I better do?
whenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading There sat Marco, petrified in the act of trying to get the hang of his miller-gun--turned to stone, just in the attitude he was in when my pile-driver fell, the toy still gripped in his unconscious fingers.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading I must get up a diversion; anything to employ me while I could think, and while these poor fellows could have a chance to come to life again.
YANKEE
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE YANKEE AND THE KING SOLD AS SLAVES Well, what had I better do?
