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 She was a slender young lady with carelessly bobbed corn-coloured hair, pale-grey eyes and an absent-minded face.
absent-minded
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She was a slender young lady with carelessly bobbed corn-coloured hair, pale-grey eyes and an absent-minded face.
Alberta
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She embraced Christina Alberta warmly and answered to the name of “Fay.”
also
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She also was dressed in a blue overall, she wore oyster-coloured stockings and slippers and possibly other things, and her business in life, Mr. Preemby learnt, was to review books for various newspapers and write romantic fiction for bookstall magazines.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading She was a slender young lady with carelessly bobbed corn-coloured hair, pale-grey eyes and an absent-minded face.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading She embraced Christina Alberta warmly and answered to the name of “Fay.”
answerednounUS /ˈanswered/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading She embraced Christina Alberta warmly and answered to the name of “Fay.”
blue
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She also was dressed in a blue overall, she wore oyster-coloured stockings and slippers and possibly other things, and her business in life, Mr. Preemby learnt, was to review books for various newspapers and write romantic fiction for bookstall magazines.
bobbed
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From this reading She was a slender young lady with carelessly bobbed corn-coloured hair, pale-grey eyes and an absent-minded face.
booksnounUS /bʊks/
Bound written or printed works.
From this reading She also was dressed in a blue overall, she wore oyster-coloured stockings and slippers and possibly other things, and her business in life, Mr. Preemby learnt, was to review books for various newspapers and write romantic fiction for bookstall magazines.
bookstall
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She also was dressed in a blue overall, she wore oyster-coloured stockings and slippers and possibly other things, and her business in life, Mr. Preemby learnt, was to review books for various newspapers and write romantic fiction for bookstall magazines.
business
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She also was dressed in a blue overall, she wore oyster-coloured stockings and slippers and possibly other things, and her business in life, Mr. Preemby learnt, was to review books for various newspapers and write romantic fiction for bookstall magazines.
carelessly
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From this reading She was a slender young lady with carelessly bobbed corn-coloured hair, pale-grey eyes and an absent-minded face.
Christina
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She embraced Christina Alberta warmly and answered to the name of “Fay.”
corn-coloured
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She was a slender young lady with carelessly bobbed corn-coloured hair, pale-grey eyes and an absent-minded face.
Crumb
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From this reading Mrs. Crumb was more effusive.
dressed
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From this reading She also was dressed in a blue overall, she wore oyster-coloured stockings and slippers and possibly other things, and her business in life, Mr. Preemby learnt, was to review books for various newspapers and write romantic fiction for bookstall magazines.
effusive
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From this reading Mrs. Crumb was more effusive.
embraced
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She embraced Christina Alberta warmly and answered to the name of “Fay.”
eyes
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She was a slender young lady with carelessly bobbed corn-coloured hair, pale-grey eyes and an absent-minded face.
face
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She was a slender young lady with carelessly bobbed corn-coloured hair, pale-grey eyes and an absent-minded face.
Fay
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She embraced Christina Alberta warmly and answered to the name of “Fay.”
fiction
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She also was dressed in a blue overall, she wore oyster-coloured stockings and slippers and possibly other things, and her business in life, Mr. Preemby learnt, was to review books for various newspapers and write romantic fiction for bookstall magazines.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading She also was dressed in a blue overall, she wore oyster-coloured stockings and slippers and possibly other things, and her business in life, Mr. Preemby learnt, was to review books for various newspapers and write romantic fiction for bookstall magazines.
hair
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She was a slender young lady with carelessly bobbed corn-coloured hair, pale-grey eyes and an absent-minded face.
handsplural nounUS /hændz/
members of a ship’s crew
From this reading Then she turned to Mr. Preemby and shook hands with him quite normally.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading She also was dressed in a blue overall, she wore oyster-coloured stockings and slippers and possibly other things, and her business in life, Mr. Preemby learnt, was to review books for various newspapers and write romantic fiction for bookstall magazines.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Then she turned to Mr. Preemby and shook hands with him quite normally.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading She also was dressed in a blue overall, she wore oyster-coloured stockings and slippers and possibly other things, and her business in life, Mr. Preemby learnt, was to review books for various newspapers and write romantic fiction for bookstall magazines.
lady
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She was a slender young lady with carelessly bobbed corn-coloured hair, pale-grey eyes and an absent-minded face.
learnt
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She also was dressed in a blue overall, she wore oyster-coloured stockings and slippers and possibly other things, and her business in life, Mr. Preemby learnt, was to review books for various newspapers and write romantic fiction for bookstall magazines.
lifenounUS /life/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading She also was dressed in a blue overall, she wore oyster-coloured stockings and slippers and possibly other things, and her business in life, Mr. Preemby learnt, was to review books for various newspapers and write romantic fiction for bookstall magazines.
magazines
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She also was dressed in a blue overall, she wore oyster-coloured stockings and slippers and possibly other things, and her business in life, Mr. Preemby learnt, was to review books for various newspapers and write romantic fiction for bookstall magazines.
more
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mrs. Crumb was more effusive.
Mr
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then she turned to Mr. Preemby and shook hands with him quite normally.
Mrs
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mrs. Crumb was more effusive.
namenounUS /name/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading She embraced Christina Alberta warmly and answered to the name of “Fay.”
newspapers
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She also was dressed in a blue overall, she wore oyster-coloured stockings and slippers and possibly other things, and her business in life, Mr. Preemby learnt, was to review books for various newspapers and write romantic fiction for bookstall magazines.
normally
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then she turned to Mr. Preemby and shook hands with him quite normally.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading She embraced Christina Alberta warmly and answered to the name of “Fay.”
other
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She also was dressed in a blue overall, she wore oyster-coloured stockings and slippers and possibly other things, and her business in life, Mr. Preemby learnt, was to review books for various newspapers and write romantic fiction for bookstall magazines.
overall
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She also was dressed in a blue overall, she wore oyster-coloured stockings and slippers and possibly other things, and her business in life, Mr. Preemby learnt, was to review books for various newspapers and write romantic fiction for bookstall magazines.
oyster-coloured
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She also was dressed in a blue overall, she wore oyster-coloured stockings and slippers and possibly other things, and her business in life, Mr. Preemby learnt, was to review books for various newspapers and write romantic fiction for bookstall magazines.
pale-grey
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She was a slender young lady with carelessly bobbed corn-coloured hair, pale-grey eyes and an absent-minded face.
possibly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She also was dressed in a blue overall, she wore oyster-coloured stockings and slippers and possibly other things, and her business in life, Mr. Preemby learnt, was to review books for various newspapers and write romantic fiction for bookstall magazines.
Preemby
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then she turned to Mr. Preemby and shook hands with him quite normally.
quitenounUS /quite/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Then she turned to Mr. Preemby and shook hands with him quite normally.
review
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She also was dressed in a blue overall, she wore oyster-coloured stockings and slippers and possibly other things, and her business in life, Mr. Preemby learnt, was to review books for various newspapers and write romantic fiction for bookstall magazines.
romantic
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She also was dressed in a blue overall, she wore oyster-coloured stockings and slippers and possibly other things, and her business in life, Mr. Preemby learnt, was to review books for various newspapers and write romantic fiction for bookstall magazines.
ShepronounUS /ʃiː/
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She embraced Christina Alberta warmly and answered to the name of “Fay.”
shook
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then she turned to Mr. Preemby and shook hands with him quite normally.
slender
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She was a slender young lady with carelessly bobbed corn-coloured hair, pale-grey eyes and an absent-minded face.
slippers
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She also was dressed in a blue overall, she wore oyster-coloured stockings and slippers and possibly other things, and her business in life, Mr. Preemby learnt, was to review books for various newspapers and write romantic fiction for bookstall magazines.
stockings
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She also was dressed in a blue overall, she wore oyster-coloured stockings and slippers and possibly other things, and her business in life, Mr. Preemby learnt, was to review books for various newspapers and write romantic fiction for bookstall magazines.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading She embraced Christina Alberta warmly and answered to the name of “Fay.”
Then
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then she turned to Mr. Preemby and shook hands with him quite normally.
things
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She also was dressed in a blue overall, she wore oyster-coloured stockings and slippers and possibly other things, and her business in life, Mr. Preemby learnt, was to review books for various newspapers and write romantic fiction for bookstall magazines.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading She embraced Christina Alberta warmly and answered to the name of “Fay.”
turned
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then she turned to Mr. Preemby and shook hands with him quite normally.
various
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She also was dressed in a blue overall, she wore oyster-coloured stockings and slippers and possibly other things, and her business in life, Mr. Preemby learnt, was to review books for various newspapers and write romantic fiction for bookstall magazines.
warmly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She embraced Christina Alberta warmly and answered to the name of “Fay.”
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Mrs. Crumb was more effusive.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading Then she turned to Mr. Preemby and shook hands with him quite normally.
wore
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She also was dressed in a blue overall, she wore oyster-coloured stockings and slippers and possibly other things, and her business in life, Mr. Preemby learnt, was to review books for various newspapers and write romantic fiction for bookstall magazines.
write
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She also was dressed in a blue overall, she wore oyster-coloured stockings and slippers and possibly other things, and her business in life, Mr. Preemby learnt, was to review books for various newspapers and write romantic fiction for bookstall magazines.
young
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She was a slender young lady with carelessly bobbed corn-coloured hair, pale-grey eyes and an absent-minded face.
