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 PUBLIC BALL Oh! my remembrances, faithful companions, I cannot take a step in this world but you rise before me!
againnounUS /again/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading When, with Laurence on my arm, I cast from a gallery a rapid glance around the ball-room full of noise and light, I saw again, in a sudden and sad vision, the smooth, stone-paved floor upon which the girls of Provence dance, in the evening, to the music of the fife and tambourine!
againstprepositionUS /əˈɡenst/
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading We closed our eyes against reality.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading When, with Laurence on my arm, I cast from a gallery a rapid glance around the ball-room full of noise and light, I saw again, in a sudden and sad vision, the smooth, stone-paved floor upon which the girls of Provence dance, in the evening, to the music of the fife and tambourine!
ardent
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From this reading The peasant girls, not those of our dreams, those who had the faces and the hearts of queens, but poor creatures whom the ardent soil had faded before their time, seemed to us to bound heavily, casting us silly smiles as they lumbered by.
arm
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When, with Laurence on my arm, I cast from a gallery a rapid glance around the ball-room full of noise and light, I saw again, in a sudden and sad vision, the smooth, stone-paved floor upon which the girls of Provence dance, in the evening, to the music of the fife and tambourine!
aroundprepositionUS /ərˈaʊnd/
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading When, with Laurence on my arm, I cast from a gallery a rapid glance around the ball-room full of noise and light, I saw again, in a sudden and sad vision, the smooth, stone-paved floor upon which the girls of Provence dance, in the evening, to the music of the fife and tambourine!
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The peasant girls, not those of our dreams, those who had the faces and the hearts of queens, but poor creatures whom the ardent soil had faded before their time, seemed to us to bound heavily, casting us silly smiles as they lumbered by.
BALL
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From this reading THE PUBLIC BALL Oh! my remembrances, faithful companions, I cannot take a step in this world but you rise before me!
ball-room
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When, with Laurence on my arm, I cast from a gallery a rapid glance around the ball-room full of noise and light, I saw again, in a sudden and sad vision, the smooth, stone-paved floor upon which the girls of Provence dance, in the evening, to the music of the fife and tambourine!
beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/
earlier than; in front of
From this reading THE PUBLIC BALL Oh! my remembrances, faithful companions, I cannot take a step in this world but you rise before me!
bound
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From this reading The peasant girls, not those of our dreams, those who had the faces and the hearts of queens, but poor creatures whom the ardent soil had faded before their time, seemed to us to bound heavily, casting us silly smiles as they lumbered by.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading THE PUBLIC BALL Oh! my remembrances, faithful companions, I cannot take a step in this world but you rise before me!
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The peasant girls, not those of our dreams, those who had the faces and the hearts of queens, but poor creatures whom the ardent soil had faded before their time, seemed to us to bound heavily, casting us silly smiles as they lumbered by.
cannot
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From this reading THE PUBLIC BALL Oh! my remembrances, faithful companions, I cannot take a step in this world but you rise before me!
cast
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From this reading When, with Laurence on my arm, I cast from a gallery a rapid glance around the ball-room full of noise and light, I saw again, in a sudden and sad vision, the smooth, stone-paved floor upon which the girls of Provence dance, in the evening, to the music of the fife and tambourine!
casting
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The peasant girls, not those of our dreams, those who had the faces and the hearts of queens, but poor creatures whom the ardent soil had faded before their time, seemed to us to bound heavily, casting us silly smiles as they lumbered by.
closed
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From this reading We closed our eyes against reality.
companions
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From this reading THE PUBLIC BALL Oh! my remembrances, faithful companions, I cannot take a step in this world but you rise before me!
creatures
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The peasant girls, not those of our dreams, those who had the faces and the hearts of queens, but poor creatures whom the ardent soil had faded before their time, seemed to us to bound heavily, casting us silly smiles as they lumbered by.
dance
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When, with Laurence on my arm, I cast from a gallery a rapid glance around the ball-room full of noise and light, I saw again, in a sudden and sad vision, the smooth, stone-paved floor upon which the girls of Provence dance, in the evening, to the music of the fife and tambourine!
dreams
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The peasant girls, not those of our dreams, those who had the faces and the hearts of queens, but poor creatures whom the ardent soil had faded before their time, seemed to us to bound heavily, casting us silly smiles as they lumbered by.
evening
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When, with Laurence on my arm, I cast from a gallery a rapid glance around the ball-room full of noise and light, I saw again, in a sudden and sad vision, the smooth, stone-paved floor upon which the girls of Provence dance, in the evening, to the music of the fife and tambourine!
eyes
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We closed our eyes against reality.
faces
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From this reading The peasant girls, not those of our dreams, those who had the faces and the hearts of queens, but poor creatures whom the ardent soil had faded before their time, seemed to us to bound heavily, casting us silly smiles as they lumbered by.
faded
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The peasant girls, not those of our dreams, those who had the faces and the hearts of queens, but poor creatures whom the ardent soil had faded before their time, seemed to us to bound heavily, casting us silly smiles as they lumbered by.
faithfulnounUS /ˈfaithful/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading THE PUBLIC BALL Oh! my remembrances, faithful companions, I cannot take a step in this world but you rise before me!
fife
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When, with Laurence on my arm, I cast from a gallery a rapid glance around the ball-room full of noise and light, I saw again, in a sudden and sad vision, the smooth, stone-paved floor upon which the girls of Provence dance, in the evening, to the music of the fife and tambourine!
floor
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When, with Laurence on my arm, I cast from a gallery a rapid glance around the ball-room full of noise and light, I saw again, in a sudden and sad vision, the smooth, stone-paved floor upon which the girls of Provence dance, in the evening, to the music of the fife and tambourine!
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading When, with Laurence on my arm, I cast from a gallery a rapid glance around the ball-room full of noise and light, I saw again, in a sudden and sad vision, the smooth, stone-paved floor upon which the girls of Provence dance, in the evening, to the music of the fife and tambourine!
full
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When, with Laurence on my arm, I cast from a gallery a rapid glance around the ball-room full of noise and light, I saw again, in a sudden and sad vision, the smooth, stone-paved floor upon which the girls of Provence dance, in the evening, to the music of the fife and tambourine!
gallery
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When, with Laurence on my arm, I cast from a gallery a rapid glance around the ball-room full of noise and light, I saw again, in a sudden and sad vision, the smooth, stone-paved floor upon which the girls of Provence dance, in the evening, to the music of the fife and tambourine!
girls
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When, with Laurence on my arm, I cast from a gallery a rapid glance around the ball-room full of noise and light, I saw again, in a sudden and sad vision, the smooth, stone-paved floor upon which the girls of Provence dance, in the evening, to the music of the fife and tambourine!
glance
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When, with Laurence on my arm, I cast from a gallery a rapid glance around the ball-room full of noise and light, I saw again, in a sudden and sad vision, the smooth, stone-paved floor upon which the girls of Provence dance, in the evening, to the music of the fife and tambourine!
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The peasant girls, not those of our dreams, those who had the faces and the hearts of queens, but poor creatures whom the ardent soil had faded before their time, seemed to us to bound heavily, casting us silly smiles as they lumbered by.
hearts
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The peasant girls, not those of our dreams, those who had the faces and the hearts of queens, but poor creatures whom the ardent soil had faded before their time, seemed to us to bound heavily, casting us silly smiles as they lumbered by.
heavily
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The peasant girls, not those of our dreams, those who had the faces and the hearts of queens, but poor creatures whom the ardent soil had faded before their time, seemed to us to bound heavily, casting us silly smiles as they lumbered by.
How
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading How we used to ridicule them!
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading THE PUBLIC BALL Oh! my remembrances, faithful companions, I cannot take a step in this world but you rise before me!
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THE PUBLIC BALL Oh! my remembrances, faithful companions, I cannot take a step in this world but you rise before me!
Laurence
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When, with Laurence on my arm, I cast from a gallery a rapid glance around the ball-room full of noise and light, I saw again, in a sudden and sad vision, the smooth, stone-paved floor upon which the girls of Provence dance, in the evening, to the music of the fife and tambourine!
light
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When, with Laurence on my arm, I cast from a gallery a rapid glance around the ball-room full of noise and light, I saw again, in a sudden and sad vision, the smooth, stone-paved floor upon which the girls of Provence dance, in the evening, to the music of the fife and tambourine!
lumbered
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The peasant girls, not those of our dreams, those who had the faces and the hearts of queens, but poor creatures whom the ardent soil had faded before their time, seemed to us to bound heavily, casting us silly smiles as they lumbered by.
mepronounUS /miː/
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading THE PUBLIC BALL Oh! my remembrances, faithful companions, I cannot take a step in this world but you rise before me!
music
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When, with Laurence on my arm, I cast from a gallery a rapid glance around the ball-room full of noise and light, I saw again, in a sudden and sad vision, the smooth, stone-paved floor upon which the girls of Provence dance, in the evening, to the music of the fife and tambourine!
mydeterminerUS /maɪ/
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading THE PUBLIC BALL Oh! my remembrances, faithful companions, I cannot take a step in this world but you rise before me!
noise
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When, with Laurence on my arm, I cast from a gallery a rapid glance around the ball-room full of noise and light, I saw again, in a sudden and sad vision, the smooth, stone-paved floor upon which the girls of Provence dance, in the evening, to the music of the fife and tambourine!
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The peasant girls, not those of our dreams, those who had the faces and the hearts of queens, but poor creatures whom the ardent soil had faded before their time, seemed to us to bound heavily, casting us silly smiles as they lumbered by.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading When, with Laurence on my arm, I cast from a gallery a rapid glance around the ball-room full of noise and light, I saw again, in a sudden and sad vision, the smooth, stone-paved floor upon which the girls of Provence dance, in the evening, to the music of the fife and tambourine!
Oh
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE PUBLIC BALL Oh! my remembrances, faithful companions, I cannot take a step in this world but you rise before me!
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading When, with Laurence on my arm, I cast from a gallery a rapid glance around the ball-room full of noise and light, I saw again, in a sudden and sad vision, the smooth, stone-paved floor upon which the girls of Provence dance, in the evening, to the music of the fife and tambourine!
ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading The peasant girls, not those of our dreams, those who had the faces and the hearts of queens, but poor creatures whom the ardent soil had faded before their time, seemed to us to bound heavily, casting us silly smiles as they lumbered by.
peasant
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The peasant girls, not those of our dreams, those who had the faces and the hearts of queens, but poor creatures whom the ardent soil had faded before their time, seemed to us to bound heavily, casting us silly smiles as they lumbered by.
poornounUS /poor/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The peasant girls, not those of our dreams, those who had the faces and the hearts of queens, but poor creatures whom the ardent soil had faded before their time, seemed to us to bound heavily, casting us silly smiles as they lumbered by.
Provence
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When, with Laurence on my arm, I cast from a gallery a rapid glance around the ball-room full of noise and light, I saw again, in a sudden and sad vision, the smooth, stone-paved floor upon which the girls of Provence dance, in the evening, to the music of the fife and tambourine!
PUBLIC
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE PUBLIC BALL Oh! my remembrances, faithful companions, I cannot take a step in this world but you rise before me!
queens
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The peasant girls, not those of our dreams, those who had the faces and the hearts of queens, but poor creatures whom the ardent soil had faded before their time, seemed to us to bound heavily, casting us silly smiles as they lumbered by.
rapid
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When, with Laurence on my arm, I cast from a gallery a rapid glance around the ball-room full of noise and light, I saw again, in a sudden and sad vision, the smooth, stone-paved floor upon which the girls of Provence dance, in the evening, to the music of the fife and tambourine!
reality
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We closed our eyes against reality.
remembrances
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE PUBLIC BALL Oh! my remembrances, faithful companions, I cannot take a step in this world but you rise before me!
ridicule
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading How we used to ridicule them!
rise
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE PUBLIC BALL Oh! my remembrances, faithful companions, I cannot take a step in this world but you rise before me!
sad
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When, with Laurence on my arm, I cast from a gallery a rapid glance around the ball-room full of noise and light, I saw again, in a sudden and sad vision, the smooth, stone-paved floor upon which the girls of Provence dance, in the evening, to the music of the fife and tambourine!
saw
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When, with Laurence on my arm, I cast from a gallery a rapid glance around the ball-room full of noise and light, I saw again, in a sudden and sad vision, the smooth, stone-paved floor upon which the girls of Provence dance, in the evening, to the music of the fife and tambourine!
seemednounUS /seemed/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The peasant girls, not those of our dreams, those who had the faces and the hearts of queens, but poor creatures whom the ardent soil had faded before their time, seemed to us to bound heavily, casting us silly smiles as they lumbered by.
silly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The peasant girls, not those of our dreams, those who had the faces and the hearts of queens, but poor creatures whom the ardent soil had faded before their time, seemed to us to bound heavily, casting us silly smiles as they lumbered by.
smiles
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The peasant girls, not those of our dreams, those who had the faces and the hearts of queens, but poor creatures whom the ardent soil had faded before their time, seemed to us to bound heavily, casting us silly smiles as they lumbered by.
smooth
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When, with Laurence on my arm, I cast from a gallery a rapid glance around the ball-room full of noise and light, I saw again, in a sudden and sad vision, the smooth, stone-paved floor upon which the girls of Provence dance, in the evening, to the music of the fife and tambourine!
soil
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The peasant girls, not those of our dreams, those who had the faces and the hearts of queens, but poor creatures whom the ardent soil had faded before their time, seemed to us to bound heavily, casting us silly smiles as they lumbered by.
stepnounUS /step/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading THE PUBLIC BALL Oh! my remembrances, faithful companions, I cannot take a step in this world but you rise before me!
stone-paved
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When, with Laurence on my arm, I cast from a gallery a rapid glance around the ball-room full of noise and light, I saw again, in a sudden and sad vision, the smooth, stone-paved floor upon which the girls of Provence dance, in the evening, to the music of the fife and tambourine!
suddennounUS /sudden/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading When, with Laurence on my arm, I cast from a gallery a rapid glance around the ball-room full of noise and light, I saw again, in a sudden and sad vision, the smooth, stone-paved floor upon which the girls of Provence dance, in the evening, to the music of the fife and tambourine!
takenounUS /take/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading THE PUBLIC BALL Oh! my remembrances, faithful companions, I cannot take a step in this world but you rise before me!
tambourine
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When, with Laurence on my arm, I cast from a gallery a rapid glance around the ball-room full of noise and light, I saw again, in a sudden and sad vision, the smooth, stone-paved floor upon which the girls of Provence dance, in the evening, to the music of the fife and tambourine!
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE PUBLIC BALL Oh! my remembrances, faithful companions, I cannot take a step in this world but you rise before me!
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading The peasant girls, not those of our dreams, those who had the faces and the hearts of queens, but poor creatures whom the ardent soil had faded before their time, seemed to us to bound heavily, casting us silly smiles as they lumbered by.
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading How we used to ridicule them!
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The peasant girls, not those of our dreams, those who had the faces and the hearts of queens, but poor creatures whom the ardent soil had faded before their time, seemed to us to bound heavily, casting us silly smiles as they lumbered by.
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading THE PUBLIC BALL Oh! my remembrances, faithful companions, I cannot take a step in this world but you rise before me!
thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading The peasant girls, not those of our dreams, those who had the faces and the hearts of queens, but poor creatures whom the ardent soil had faded before their time, seemed to us to bound heavily, casting us silly smiles as they lumbered by.
timenounUS /time/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The peasant girls, not those of our dreams, those who had the faces and the hearts of queens, but poor creatures whom the ardent soil had faded before their time, seemed to us to bound heavily, casting us silly smiles as they lumbered by.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading When, with Laurence on my arm, I cast from a gallery a rapid glance around the ball-room full of noise and light, I saw again, in a sudden and sad vision, the smooth, stone-paved floor upon which the girls of Provence dance, in the evening, to the music of the fife and tambourine!
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading When, with Laurence on my arm, I cast from a gallery a rapid glance around the ball-room full of noise and light, I saw again, in a sudden and sad vision, the smooth, stone-paved floor upon which the girls of Provence dance, in the evening, to the music of the fife and tambourine!
uspronounUS /ʌs/
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The peasant girls, not those of our dreams, those who had the faces and the hearts of queens, but poor creatures whom the ardent soil had faded before their time, seemed to us to bound heavily, casting us silly smiles as they lumbered by.
used
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading How we used to ridicule them!
vision
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When, with Laurence on my arm, I cast from a gallery a rapid glance around the ball-room full of noise and light, I saw again, in a sudden and sad vision, the smooth, stone-paved floor upon which the girls of Provence dance, in the evening, to the music of the fife and tambourine!
wepronounUS /wiː/
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading How we used to ridicule them!
WhenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading When, with Laurence on my arm, I cast from a gallery a rapid glance around the ball-room full of noise and light, I saw again, in a sudden and sad vision, the smooth, stone-paved floor upon which the girls of Provence dance, in the evening, to the music of the fife and tambourine!
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading When, with Laurence on my arm, I cast from a gallery a rapid glance around the ball-room full of noise and light, I saw again, in a sudden and sad vision, the smooth, stone-paved floor upon which the girls of Provence dance, in the evening, to the music of the fife and tambourine!
whopronounUS /huː/
which person or people
From this reading The peasant girls, not those of our dreams, those who had the faces and the hearts of queens, but poor creatures whom the ardent soil had faded before their time, seemed to us to bound heavily, casting us silly smiles as they lumbered by.
whompronounUS /huːm/
the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The peasant girls, not those of our dreams, those who had the faces and the hearts of queens, but poor creatures whom the ardent soil had faded before their time, seemed to us to bound heavily, casting us silly smiles as they lumbered by.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading When, with Laurence on my arm, I cast from a gallery a rapid glance around the ball-room full of noise and light, I saw again, in a sudden and sad vision, the smooth, stone-paved floor upon which the girls of Provence dance, in the evening, to the music of the fife and tambourine!
world
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE PUBLIC BALL Oh! my remembrances, faithful companions, I cannot take a step in this world but you rise before me!
youpronounUS /juː/
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading THE PUBLIC BALL Oh! my remembrances, faithful companions, I cannot take a step in this world but you rise before me!
