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 Between the silver ribbon of morning and the green glittering ribbon of sea, the boat touched Harwich and let loose a swarm of folk like flies, among whom the man we must follow was by no means conspicuous--nor wished to be.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading There was nothing notable about him, except a slight contrast between the holiday gaiety of his clothes and the official gravity of his face.
amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/
surrounded by; in the middle of a group
From this reading Between the silver ribbon of morning and the green glittering ribbon of sea, the boat touched Harwich and let loose a swarm of folk like flies, among whom the man we must follow was by no means conspicuous--nor wished to be.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading His lean face was dark by contrast, and ended in a curt black beard that looked Spanish and suggested an Elizabethan ruff.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Between the silver ribbon of morning and the green glittering ribbon of sea, the boat touched Harwich and let loose a swarm of folk like flies, among whom the man we must follow was by no means conspicuous--nor wished to be.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Between the silver ribbon of morning and the green glittering ribbon of sea, the boat touched Harwich and let loose a swarm of folk like flies, among whom the man we must follow was by no means conspicuous--nor wished to be.
beard
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading His lean face was dark by contrast, and ended in a curt black beard that looked Spanish and suggested an Elizabethan ruff.
BetweenprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading Between the silver ribbon of morning and the green glittering ribbon of sea, the boat touched Harwich and let loose a swarm of folk like flies, among whom the man we must follow was by no means conspicuous--nor wished to be.
black
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading His lean face was dark by contrast, and ended in a curt black beard that looked Spanish and suggested an Elizabethan ruff.
boat
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Between the silver ribbon of morning and the green glittering ribbon of sea, the boat touched Harwich and let loose a swarm of folk like flies, among whom the man we must follow was by no means conspicuous--nor wished to be.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Between the silver ribbon of morning and the green glittering ribbon of sea, the boat touched Harwich and let loose a swarm of folk like flies, among whom the man we must follow was by no means conspicuous--nor wished to be.
cigarette
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From this reading He was smoking a cigarette with the seriousness of an idler.
clothes
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From this reading There was nothing notable about him, except a slight contrast between the holiday gaiety of his clothes and the official gravity of his face.
conspicuous
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From this reading Between the silver ribbon of morning and the green glittering ribbon of sea, the boat touched Harwich and let loose a swarm of folk like flies, among whom the man we must follow was by no means conspicuous--nor wished to be.
contrast
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From this reading There was nothing notable about him, except a slight contrast between the holiday gaiety of his clothes and the official gravity of his face.
curt
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From this reading His lean face was dark by contrast, and ended in a curt black beard that looked Spanish and suggested an Elizabethan ruff.
dark
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From this reading His lean face was dark by contrast, and ended in a curt black beard that looked Spanish and suggested an Elizabethan ruff.
Elizabethan
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From this reading His lean face was dark by contrast, and ended in a curt black beard that looked Spanish and suggested an Elizabethan ruff.
ended
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From this reading His lean face was dark by contrast, and ended in a curt black beard that looked Spanish and suggested an Elizabethan ruff.
exceptprepositionUS /ɪkˈsept/
apart from; not including
From this reading There was nothing notable about him, except a slight contrast between the holiday gaiety of his clothes and the official gravity of his face.
face
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was nothing notable about him, except a slight contrast between the holiday gaiety of his clothes and the official gravity of his face.
flies
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Between the silver ribbon of morning and the green glittering ribbon of sea, the boat touched Harwich and let loose a swarm of folk like flies, among whom the man we must follow was by no means conspicuous--nor wished to be.
folk
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Between the silver ribbon of morning and the green glittering ribbon of sea, the boat touched Harwich and let loose a swarm of folk like flies, among whom the man we must follow was by no means conspicuous--nor wished to be.
follow
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From this reading Between the silver ribbon of morning and the green glittering ribbon of sea, the boat touched Harwich and let loose a swarm of folk like flies, among whom the man we must follow was by no means conspicuous--nor wished to be.
gaiety
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From this reading There was nothing notable about him, except a slight contrast between the holiday gaiety of his clothes and the official gravity of his face.
glittering
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From this reading Between the silver ribbon of morning and the green glittering ribbon of sea, the boat touched Harwich and let loose a swarm of folk like flies, among whom the man we must follow was by no means conspicuous--nor wished to be.
gravity
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From this reading There was nothing notable about him, except a slight contrast between the holiday gaiety of his clothes and the official gravity of his face.
green
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From this reading Between the silver ribbon of morning and the green glittering ribbon of sea, the boat touched Harwich and let loose a swarm of folk like flies, among whom the man we must follow was by no means conspicuous--nor wished to be.
grey
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading His clothes included a slight, pale grey jacket, a white waistcoat, and a silver straw hat with a grey-blue ribbon.
grey-blue
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From this reading His clothes included a slight, pale grey jacket, a white waistcoat, and a silver straw hat with a grey-blue ribbon.
Harwich
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Between the silver ribbon of morning and the green glittering ribbon of sea, the boat touched Harwich and let loose a swarm of folk like flies, among whom the man we must follow was by no means conspicuous--nor wished to be.
hat
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading His clothes included a slight, pale grey jacket, a white waistcoat, and a silver straw hat with a grey-blue ribbon.
HepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He was smoking a cigarette with the seriousness of an idler.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading There was nothing notable about him, except a slight contrast between the holiday gaiety of his clothes and the official gravity of his face.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading There was nothing notable about him, except a slight contrast between the holiday gaiety of his clothes and the official gravity of his face.
holiday
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was nothing notable about him, except a slight contrast between the holiday gaiety of his clothes and the official gravity of his face.
idler
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From this reading He was smoking a cigarette with the seriousness of an idler.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading His lean face was dark by contrast, and ended in a curt black beard that looked Spanish and suggested an Elizabethan ruff.
included
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading His clothes included a slight, pale grey jacket, a white waistcoat, and a silver straw hat with a grey-blue ribbon.
jacket
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading His clothes included a slight, pale grey jacket, a white waistcoat, and a silver straw hat with a grey-blue ribbon.
lean
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading His lean face was dark by contrast, and ended in a curt black beard that looked Spanish and suggested an Elizabethan ruff.
letauxiliary verbUS /let/
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading Between the silver ribbon of morning and the green glittering ribbon of sea, the boat touched Harwich and let loose a swarm of folk like flies, among whom the man we must follow was by no means conspicuous--nor wished to be.
like
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Between the silver ribbon of morning and the green glittering ribbon of sea, the boat touched Harwich and let loose a swarm of folk like flies, among whom the man we must follow was by no means conspicuous--nor wished to be.
lookednounUS /looked/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading His lean face was dark by contrast, and ended in a curt black beard that looked Spanish and suggested an Elizabethan ruff.
loose
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Between the silver ribbon of morning and the green glittering ribbon of sea, the boat touched Harwich and let loose a swarm of folk like flies, among whom the man we must follow was by no means conspicuous--nor wished to be.
man
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Between the silver ribbon of morning and the green glittering ribbon of sea, the boat touched Harwich and let loose a swarm of folk like flies, among whom the man we must follow was by no means conspicuous--nor wished to be.
means
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Between the silver ribbon of morning and the green glittering ribbon of sea, the boat touched Harwich and let loose a swarm of folk like flies, among whom the man we must follow was by no means conspicuous--nor wished to be.
morningnounUS /morning/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Between the silver ribbon of morning and the green glittering ribbon of sea, the boat touched Harwich and let loose a swarm of folk like flies, among whom the man we must follow was by no means conspicuous--nor wished to be.
mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading Between the silver ribbon of morning and the green glittering ribbon of sea, the boat touched Harwich and let loose a swarm of folk like flies, among whom the man we must follow was by no means conspicuous--nor wished to be.
nodeterminerUS /noʊ/
not any; not one
From this reading Between the silver ribbon of morning and the green glittering ribbon of sea, the boat touched Harwich and let loose a swarm of folk like flies, among whom the man we must follow was by no means conspicuous--nor wished to be.
norconjunctionUS /nɔːr/
and not; used after a negative to add a second negative
From this reading Between the silver ribbon of morning and the green glittering ribbon of sea, the boat touched Harwich and let loose a swarm of folk like flies, among whom the man we must follow was by no means conspicuous--nor wished to be.
notable
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was nothing notable about him, except a slight contrast between the holiday gaiety of his clothes and the official gravity of his face.
nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/
not one thing; not anything
From this reading There was nothing notable about him, except a slight contrast between the holiday gaiety of his clothes and the official gravity of his face.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Between the silver ribbon of morning and the green glittering ribbon of sea, the boat touched Harwich and let loose a swarm of folk like flies, among whom the man we must follow was by no means conspicuous--nor wished to be.
official
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was nothing notable about him, except a slight contrast between the holiday gaiety of his clothes and the official gravity of his face.
pale
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading His clothes included a slight, pale grey jacket, a white waistcoat, and a silver straw hat with a grey-blue ribbon.
ribbon
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Between the silver ribbon of morning and the green glittering ribbon of sea, the boat touched Harwich and let loose a swarm of folk like flies, among whom the man we must follow was by no means conspicuous--nor wished to be.
ruff
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading His lean face was dark by contrast, and ended in a curt black beard that looked Spanish and suggested an Elizabethan ruff.
sea
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Between the silver ribbon of morning and the green glittering ribbon of sea, the boat touched Harwich and let loose a swarm of folk like flies, among whom the man we must follow was by no means conspicuous--nor wished to be.
seriousness
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He was smoking a cigarette with the seriousness of an idler.
silver
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Between the silver ribbon of morning and the green glittering ribbon of sea, the boat touched Harwich and let loose a swarm of folk like flies, among whom the man we must follow was by no means conspicuous--nor wished to be.
slight
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was nothing notable about him, except a slight contrast between the holiday gaiety of his clothes and the official gravity of his face.
smokingnounUS /ˈsmoking/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading He was smoking a cigarette with the seriousness of an idler.
Spanish
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading His lean face was dark by contrast, and ended in a curt black beard that looked Spanish and suggested an Elizabethan ruff.
straw
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading His clothes included a slight, pale grey jacket, a white waistcoat, and a silver straw hat with a grey-blue ribbon.
suggested
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading His lean face was dark by contrast, and ended in a curt black beard that looked Spanish and suggested an Elizabethan ruff.
swarm
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Between the silver ribbon of morning and the green glittering ribbon of sea, the boat touched Harwich and let loose a swarm of folk like flies, among whom the man we must follow was by no means conspicuous--nor wished to be.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading His lean face was dark by contrast, and ended in a curt black beard that looked Spanish and suggested an Elizabethan ruff.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Between the silver ribbon of morning and the green glittering ribbon of sea, the boat touched Harwich and let loose a swarm of folk like flies, among whom the man we must follow was by no means conspicuous--nor wished to be.
There
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was nothing notable about him, except a slight contrast between the holiday gaiety of his clothes and the official gravity of his face.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Between the silver ribbon of morning and the green glittering ribbon of sea, the boat touched Harwich and let loose a swarm of folk like flies, among whom the man we must follow was by no means conspicuous--nor wished to be.
touched
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Between the silver ribbon of morning and the green glittering ribbon of sea, the boat touched Harwich and let loose a swarm of folk like flies, among whom the man we must follow was by no means conspicuous--nor wished to be.
waistcoat
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading His clothes included a slight, pale grey jacket, a white waistcoat, and a silver straw hat with a grey-blue ribbon.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Between the silver ribbon of morning and the green glittering ribbon of sea, the boat touched Harwich and let loose a swarm of folk like flies, among whom the man we must follow was by no means conspicuous--nor wished to be.
wepronounUS /wiː/
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading Between the silver ribbon of morning and the green glittering ribbon of sea, the boat touched Harwich and let loose a swarm of folk like flies, among whom the man we must follow was by no means conspicuous--nor wished to be.
white
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading His clothes included a slight, pale grey jacket, a white waistcoat, and a silver straw hat with a grey-blue ribbon.
whompronounUS /huːm/
the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Between the silver ribbon of morning and the green glittering ribbon of sea, the boat touched Harwich and let loose a swarm of folk like flies, among whom the man we must follow was by no means conspicuous--nor wished to be.
wished
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Between the silver ribbon of morning and the green glittering ribbon of sea, the boat touched Harwich and let loose a swarm of folk like flies, among whom the man we must follow was by no means conspicuous--nor wished to be.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading His clothes included a slight, pale grey jacket, a white waistcoat, and a silver straw hat with a grey-blue ribbon.
