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 The town was going to bed; the late moon was rising, and in the magnolia gardens there seemed to waver a bright and shadowy silence--a night when every sound was afar off, a half mysterious echo--the closing of a window shutter, the subdued footfall of a thief, the indistinct notes of an old song lagging in the soft and lazy air.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading I walked about the courthouse, its pillars classic in the shadow, its gilded cupola gaudy in the light.
acrossprepositionUS /əˈkrɔːs/
from one side of something to the other
From this reading I did not turn to my habitation across the square, to sniff the lifeless atmosphere and the sickish paint of the opera house; I bent my way to the river where the moon was free.
afar
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From this reading The town was going to bed; the late moon was rising, and in the magnolia gardens there seemed to waver a bright and shadowy silence--a night when every sound was afar off, a half mysterious echo--the closing of a window shutter, the subdued footfall of a thief, the indistinct notes of an old song lagging in the soft and lazy air.
air
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The town was going to bed; the late moon was rising, and in the magnolia gardens there seemed to waver a bright and shadowy silence--a night when every sound was afar off, a half mysterious echo--the closing of a window shutter, the subdued footfall of a thief, the indistinct notes of an old song lagging in the soft and lazy air.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading The town was going to bed; the late moon was rising, and in the magnolia gardens there seemed to waver a bright and shadowy silence--a night when every sound was afar off, a half mysterious echo--the closing of a window shutter, the subdued footfall of a thief, the indistinct notes of an old song lagging in the soft and lazy air.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The town was going to bed; the late moon was rising, and in the magnolia gardens there seemed to waver a bright and shadowy silence--a night when every sound was afar off, a half mysterious echo--the closing of a window shutter, the subdued footfall of a thief, the indistinct notes of an old song lagging in the soft and lazy air.
atmosphere
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I did not turn to my habitation across the square, to sniff the lifeless atmosphere and the sickish paint of the opera house; I bent my way to the river where the moon was free.
bed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The town was going to bed; the late moon was rising, and in the magnolia gardens there seemed to waver a bright and shadowy silence--a night when every sound was afar off, a half mysterious echo--the closing of a window shutter, the subdued footfall of a thief, the indistinct notes of an old song lagging in the soft and lazy air.
bent
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I did not turn to my habitation across the square, to sniff the lifeless atmosphere and the sickish paint of the opera house; I bent my way to the river where the moon was free.
bright
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The town was going to bed; the late moon was rising, and in the magnolia gardens there seemed to waver a bright and shadowy silence--a night when every sound was afar off, a half mysterious echo--the closing of a window shutter, the subdued footfall of a thief, the indistinct notes of an old song lagging in the soft and lazy air.
classic
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I walked about the courthouse, its pillars classic in the shadow, its gilded cupola gaudy in the light.
closing
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From this reading The town was going to bed; the late moon was rising, and in the magnolia gardens there seemed to waver a bright and shadowy silence--a night when every sound was afar off, a half mysterious echo--the closing of a window shutter, the subdued footfall of a thief, the indistinct notes of an old song lagging in the soft and lazy air.
commerce
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And upon a rotting yawl I sat down to think, shoulder to shoulder with the ghost of a dead commerce.
courthouse
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I walked about the courthouse, its pillars classic in the shadow, its gilded cupola gaudy in the light.
cupola
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I walked about the courthouse, its pillars classic in the shadow, its gilded cupola gaudy in the light.
deadnounUS /dead/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading And upon a rotting yawl I sat down to think, shoulder to shoulder with the ghost of a dead commerce.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading I did not turn to my habitation across the square, to sniff the lifeless atmosphere and the sickish paint of the opera house; I bent my way to the river where the moon was free.
down
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And upon a rotting yawl I sat down to think, shoulder to shoulder with the ghost of a dead commerce.
echo
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From this reading The town was going to bed; the late moon was rising, and in the magnolia gardens there seemed to waver a bright and shadowy silence--a night when every sound was afar off, a half mysterious echo--the closing of a window shutter, the subdued footfall of a thief, the indistinct notes of an old song lagging in the soft and lazy air.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading The town was going to bed; the late moon was rising, and in the magnolia gardens there seemed to waver a bright and shadowy silence--a night when every sound was afar off, a half mysterious echo--the closing of a window shutter, the subdued footfall of a thief, the indistinct notes of an old song lagging in the soft and lazy air.
footfall
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The town was going to bed; the late moon was rising, and in the magnolia gardens there seemed to waver a bright and shadowy silence--a night when every sound was afar off, a half mysterious echo--the closing of a window shutter, the subdued footfall of a thief, the indistinct notes of an old song lagging in the soft and lazy air.
freeadjectiveUS /friː/
acting without enough restraint or discipline
From this reading I did not turn to my habitation across the square, to sniff the lifeless atmosphere and the sickish paint of the opera house; I bent my way to the river where the moon was free.
gardens
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The town was going to bed; the late moon was rising, and in the magnolia gardens there seemed to waver a bright and shadowy silence--a night when every sound was afar off, a half mysterious echo--the closing of a window shutter, the subdued footfall of a thief, the indistinct notes of an old song lagging in the soft and lazy air.
gaudy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I walked about the courthouse, its pillars classic in the shadow, its gilded cupola gaudy in the light.
ghost
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And upon a rotting yawl I sat down to think, shoulder to shoulder with the ghost of a dead commerce.
gilded
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I walked about the courthouse, its pillars classic in the shadow, its gilded cupola gaudy in the light.
going
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The town was going to bed; the late moon was rising, and in the magnolia gardens there seemed to waver a bright and shadowy silence--a night when every sound was afar off, a half mysterious echo--the closing of a window shutter, the subdued footfall of a thief, the indistinct notes of an old song lagging in the soft and lazy air.
habitation
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I did not turn to my habitation across the square, to sniff the lifeless atmosphere and the sickish paint of the opera house; I bent my way to the river where the moon was free.
halfnounUS /half/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The town was going to bed; the late moon was rising, and in the magnolia gardens there seemed to waver a bright and shadowy silence--a night when every sound was afar off, a half mysterious echo--the closing of a window shutter, the subdued footfall of a thief, the indistinct notes of an old song lagging in the soft and lazy air.
house
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I did not turn to my habitation across the square, to sniff the lifeless atmosphere and the sickish paint of the opera house; I bent my way to the river where the moon was free.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I walked about the courthouse, its pillars classic in the shadow, its gilded cupola gaudy in the light.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The town was going to bed; the late moon was rising, and in the magnolia gardens there seemed to waver a bright and shadowy silence--a night when every sound was afar off, a half mysterious echo--the closing of a window shutter, the subdued footfall of a thief, the indistinct notes of an old song lagging in the soft and lazy air.
indistinct
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The town was going to bed; the late moon was rising, and in the magnolia gardens there seemed to waver a bright and shadowy silence--a night when every sound was afar off, a half mysterious echo--the closing of a window shutter, the subdued footfall of a thief, the indistinct notes of an old song lagging in the soft and lazy air.
itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading I walked about the courthouse, its pillars classic in the shadow, its gilded cupola gaudy in the light.
JOE
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading OLD JOE VARK.
lagging
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The town was going to bed; the late moon was rising, and in the magnolia gardens there seemed to waver a bright and shadowy silence--a night when every sound was afar off, a half mysterious echo--the closing of a window shutter, the subdued footfall of a thief, the indistinct notes of an old song lagging in the soft and lazy air.
late
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The town was going to bed; the late moon was rising, and in the magnolia gardens there seemed to waver a bright and shadowy silence--a night when every sound was afar off, a half mysterious echo--the closing of a window shutter, the subdued footfall of a thief, the indistinct notes of an old song lagging in the soft and lazy air.
lazy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The town was going to bed; the late moon was rising, and in the magnolia gardens there seemed to waver a bright and shadowy silence--a night when every sound was afar off, a half mysterious echo--the closing of a window shutter, the subdued footfall of a thief, the indistinct notes of an old song lagging in the soft and lazy air.
lifeless
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I did not turn to my habitation across the square, to sniff the lifeless atmosphere and the sickish paint of the opera house; I bent my way to the river where the moon was free.
light
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I walked about the courthouse, its pillars classic in the shadow, its gilded cupola gaudy in the light.
magnolia
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The town was going to bed; the late moon was rising, and in the magnolia gardens there seemed to waver a bright and shadowy silence--a night when every sound was afar off, a half mysterious echo--the closing of a window shutter, the subdued footfall of a thief, the indistinct notes of an old song lagging in the soft and lazy air.
moon
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The town was going to bed; the late moon was rising, and in the magnolia gardens there seemed to waver a bright and shadowy silence--a night when every sound was afar off, a half mysterious echo--the closing of a window shutter, the subdued footfall of a thief, the indistinct notes of an old song lagging in the soft and lazy air.
mydeterminerUS /maɪ/
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading I did not turn to my habitation across the square, to sniff the lifeless atmosphere and the sickish paint of the opera house; I bent my way to the river where the moon was free.
mysteriousadjectiveUS /mɪˈstɪriəs/
difficult to explain or understand
From this reading The town was going to bed; the late moon was rising, and in the magnolia gardens there seemed to waver a bright and shadowy silence--a night when every sound was afar off, a half mysterious echo--the closing of a window shutter, the subdued footfall of a thief, the indistinct notes of an old song lagging in the soft and lazy air.
night
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The town was going to bed; the late moon was rising, and in the magnolia gardens there seemed to waver a bright and shadowy silence--a night when every sound was afar off, a half mysterious echo--the closing of a window shutter, the subdued footfall of a thief, the indistinct notes of an old song lagging in the soft and lazy air.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading I did not turn to my habitation across the square, to sniff the lifeless atmosphere and the sickish paint of the opera house; I bent my way to the river where the moon was free.
notes
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The town was going to bed; the late moon was rising, and in the magnolia gardens there seemed to waver a bright and shadowy silence--a night when every sound was afar off, a half mysterious echo--the closing of a window shutter, the subdued footfall of a thief, the indistinct notes of an old song lagging in the soft and lazy air.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The town was going to bed; the late moon was rising, and in the magnolia gardens there seemed to waver a bright and shadowy silence--a night when every sound was afar off, a half mysterious echo--the closing of a window shutter, the subdued footfall of a thief, the indistinct notes of an old song lagging in the soft and lazy air.
off
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The town was going to bed; the late moon was rising, and in the magnolia gardens there seemed to waver a bright and shadowy silence--a night when every sound was afar off, a half mysterious echo--the closing of a window shutter, the subdued footfall of a thief, the indistinct notes of an old song lagging in the soft and lazy air.
OLD
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading OLD JOE VARK.
opera
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I did not turn to my habitation across the square, to sniff the lifeless atmosphere and the sickish paint of the opera house; I bent my way to the river where the moon was free.
paint
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I did not turn to my habitation across the square, to sniff the lifeless atmosphere and the sickish paint of the opera house; I bent my way to the river where the moon was free.
pillars
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I walked about the courthouse, its pillars classic in the shadow, its gilded cupola gaudy in the light.
rising
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The town was going to bed; the late moon was rising, and in the magnolia gardens there seemed to waver a bright and shadowy silence--a night when every sound was afar off, a half mysterious echo--the closing of a window shutter, the subdued footfall of a thief, the indistinct notes of an old song lagging in the soft and lazy air.
river
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I did not turn to my habitation across the square, to sniff the lifeless atmosphere and the sickish paint of the opera house; I bent my way to the river where the moon was free.
rotting
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And upon a rotting yawl I sat down to think, shoulder to shoulder with the ghost of a dead commerce.
sat
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And upon a rotting yawl I sat down to think, shoulder to shoulder with the ghost of a dead commerce.
seemednounUS /seemed/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The town was going to bed; the late moon was rising, and in the magnolia gardens there seemed to waver a bright and shadowy silence--a night when every sound was afar off, a half mysterious echo--the closing of a window shutter, the subdued footfall of a thief, the indistinct notes of an old song lagging in the soft and lazy air.
shadownounUS /ˈʃæd.oʊ/
A dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface.
From this reading I walked about the courthouse, its pillars classic in the shadow, its gilded cupola gaudy in the light.
shadowy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The town was going to bed; the late moon was rising, and in the magnolia gardens there seemed to waver a bright and shadowy silence--a night when every sound was afar off, a half mysterious echo--the closing of a window shutter, the subdued footfall of a thief, the indistinct notes of an old song lagging in the soft and lazy air.
shoulder
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And upon a rotting yawl I sat down to think, shoulder to shoulder with the ghost of a dead commerce.
shutter
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The town was going to bed; the late moon was rising, and in the magnolia gardens there seemed to waver a bright and shadowy silence--a night when every sound was afar off, a half mysterious echo--the closing of a window shutter, the subdued footfall of a thief, the indistinct notes of an old song lagging in the soft and lazy air.
sickish
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I did not turn to my habitation across the square, to sniff the lifeless atmosphere and the sickish paint of the opera house; I bent my way to the river where the moon was free.
silencenounUS /ˈsaɪ.ləns/
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading The town was going to bed; the late moon was rising, and in the magnolia gardens there seemed to waver a bright and shadowy silence--a night when every sound was afar off, a half mysterious echo--the closing of a window shutter, the subdued footfall of a thief, the indistinct notes of an old song lagging in the soft and lazy air.
sniff
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I did not turn to my habitation across the square, to sniff the lifeless atmosphere and the sickish paint of the opera house; I bent my way to the river where the moon was free.
soft
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The town was going to bed; the late moon was rising, and in the magnolia gardens there seemed to waver a bright and shadowy silence--a night when every sound was afar off, a half mysterious echo--the closing of a window shutter, the subdued footfall of a thief, the indistinct notes of an old song lagging in the soft and lazy air.
song
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The town was going to bed; the late moon was rising, and in the magnolia gardens there seemed to waver a bright and shadowy silence--a night when every sound was afar off, a half mysterious echo--the closing of a window shutter, the subdued footfall of a thief, the indistinct notes of an old song lagging in the soft and lazy air.
sound
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The town was going to bed; the late moon was rising, and in the magnolia gardens there seemed to waver a bright and shadowy silence--a night when every sound was afar off, a half mysterious echo--the closing of a window shutter, the subdued footfall of a thief, the indistinct notes of an old song lagging in the soft and lazy air.
square
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I did not turn to my habitation across the square, to sniff the lifeless atmosphere and the sickish paint of the opera house; I bent my way to the river where the moon was free.
subdued
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The town was going to bed; the late moon was rising, and in the magnolia gardens there seemed to waver a bright and shadowy silence--a night when every sound was afar off, a half mysterious echo--the closing of a window shutter, the subdued footfall of a thief, the indistinct notes of an old song lagging in the soft and lazy air.
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The town was going to bed; the late moon was rising, and in the magnolia gardens there seemed to waver a bright and shadowy silence--a night when every sound was afar off, a half mysterious echo--the closing of a window shutter, the subdued footfall of a thief, the indistinct notes of an old song lagging in the soft and lazy air.
there
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The town was going to bed; the late moon was rising, and in the magnolia gardens there seemed to waver a bright and shadowy silence--a night when every sound was afar off, a half mysterious echo--the closing of a window shutter, the subdued footfall of a thief, the indistinct notes of an old song lagging in the soft and lazy air.
thief
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The town was going to bed; the late moon was rising, and in the magnolia gardens there seemed to waver a bright and shadowy silence--a night when every sound was afar off, a half mysterious echo--the closing of a window shutter, the subdued footfall of a thief, the indistinct notes of an old song lagging in the soft and lazy air.
thinknounUS /think/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading And upon a rotting yawl I sat down to think, shoulder to shoulder with the ghost of a dead commerce.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The town was going to bed; the late moon was rising, and in the magnolia gardens there seemed to waver a bright and shadowy silence--a night when every sound was afar off, a half mysterious echo--the closing of a window shutter, the subdued footfall of a thief, the indistinct notes of an old song lagging in the soft and lazy air.
town
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The town was going to bed; the late moon was rising, and in the magnolia gardens there seemed to waver a bright and shadowy silence--a night when every sound was afar off, a half mysterious echo--the closing of a window shutter, the subdued footfall of a thief, the indistinct notes of an old song lagging in the soft and lazy air.
turn
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I did not turn to my habitation across the square, to sniff the lifeless atmosphere and the sickish paint of the opera house; I bent my way to the river where the moon was free.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading And upon a rotting yawl I sat down to think, shoulder to shoulder with the ghost of a dead commerce.
VARK
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading OLD JOE VARK.
walked
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I walked about the courthouse, its pillars classic in the shadow, its gilded cupola gaudy in the light.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The town was going to bed; the late moon was rising, and in the magnolia gardens there seemed to waver a bright and shadowy silence--a night when every sound was afar off, a half mysterious echo--the closing of a window shutter, the subdued footfall of a thief, the indistinct notes of an old song lagging in the soft and lazy air.
waver
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The town was going to bed; the late moon was rising, and in the magnolia gardens there seemed to waver a bright and shadowy silence--a night when every sound was afar off, a half mysterious echo--the closing of a window shutter, the subdued footfall of a thief, the indistinct notes of an old song lagging in the soft and lazy air.
way
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I did not turn to my habitation across the square, to sniff the lifeless atmosphere and the sickish paint of the opera house; I bent my way to the river where the moon was free.
whenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading The town was going to bed; the late moon was rising, and in the magnolia gardens there seemed to waver a bright and shadowy silence--a night when every sound was afar off, a half mysterious echo--the closing of a window shutter, the subdued footfall of a thief, the indistinct notes of an old song lagging in the soft and lazy air.
whereconjunctionUS /wer/
in or at the place that
From this reading I did not turn to my habitation across the square, to sniff the lifeless atmosphere and the sickish paint of the opera house; I bent my way to the river where the moon was free.
window
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The town was going to bed; the late moon was rising, and in the magnolia gardens there seemed to waver a bright and shadowy silence--a night when every sound was afar off, a half mysterious echo--the closing of a window shutter, the subdued footfall of a thief, the indistinct notes of an old song lagging in the soft and lazy air.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading And upon a rotting yawl I sat down to think, shoulder to shoulder with the ghost of a dead commerce.
yawl
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And upon a rotting yawl I sat down to think, shoulder to shoulder with the ghost of a dead commerce.
