Every word is available to listen to. Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.
36
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This was Proserpina,[36] daughter of Ceres, the goddess of agriculture, a maiden who had ever shunned the thought of marriage and preferred to spend her life playing games, and dancing in the beautiful plain of Enna, where there is never any frost or snow, but springtime lasts through all the year.
adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The Story of Proserpina When Jupiter made himself ruler of the world, he imprisoned some of the warring giants under Mount Etna in Sicily, much to the disgust of Pluto, who was always fearing that when the giants got restless and turned over and over underground (thus causing earthquakes), they would some day make such a large crack in the earth that daylight would be let into Hades.
agriculture
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This was Proserpina,[36] daughter of Ceres, the goddess of agriculture, a maiden who had ever shunned the thought of marriage and preferred to spend her life playing games, and dancing in the beautiful plain of Enna, where there is never any frost or snow, but springtime lasts through all the year.
all
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This was Proserpina,[36] daughter of Ceres, the goddess of agriculture, a maiden who had ever shunned the thought of marriage and preferred to spend her life playing games, and dancing in the beautiful plain of Enna, where there is never any frost or snow, but springtime lasts through all the year.
always
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Story of Proserpina When Jupiter made himself ruler of the world, he imprisoned some of the warring giants under Mount Etna in Sicily, much to the disgust of Pluto, who was always fearing that when the giants got restless and turned over and over underground (thus causing earthquakes), they would some day make such a large crack in the earth that daylight would be let into Hades.
amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/
surrounded by; in the middle of a group
From this reading One day, as he was driving his four coal-black horses through the vale of Enna, he saw a group of maidens gathering violets on the hillside; and among them was one so exquisitely fair that Pluto determined to take her for his wife.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The Story of Proserpina When Jupiter made himself ruler of the world, he imprisoned some of the warring giants under Mount Etna in Sicily, much to the disgust of Pluto, who was always fearing that when the giants got restless and turned over and over underground (thus causing earthquakes), they would some day make such a large crack in the earth that daylight would be let into Hades.
any
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This was Proserpina,[36] daughter of Ceres, the goddess of agriculture, a maiden who had ever shunned the thought of marriage and preferred to spend her life playing games, and dancing in the beautiful plain of Enna, where there is never any frost or snow, but springtime lasts through all the year.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading One day, as he was driving his four coal-black horses through the vale of Enna, he saw a group of maidens gathering violets on the hillside; and among them was one so exquisitely fair that Pluto determined to take her for his wife.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading The Story of Proserpina When Jupiter made himself ruler of the world, he imprisoned some of the warring giants under Mount Etna in Sicily, much to the disgust of Pluto, who was always fearing that when the giants got restless and turned over and over underground (thus causing earthquakes), they would some day make such a large crack in the earth that daylight would be let into Hades.
beautiful
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This was Proserpina,[36] daughter of Ceres, the goddess of agriculture, a maiden who had ever shunned the thought of marriage and preferred to spend her life playing games, and dancing in the beautiful plain of Enna, where there is never any frost or snow, but springtime lasts through all the year.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading So Pluto often went up out of his sunless land to look carefully over the island, and to be sure that no new fissure was being made in the earth's surface.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading This was Proserpina,[36] daughter of Ceres, the goddess of agriculture, a maiden who had ever shunned the thought of marriage and preferred to spend her life playing games, and dancing in the beautiful plain of Enna, where there is never any frost or snow, but springtime lasts through all the year.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Pluto had often tried to gain a wife by gentle means, but no one would consent to share his grewsome home; so, knowing that this maiden he desired would never listen to soft words of love, he determined to take her by force.
carefully
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading So Pluto often went up out of his sunless land to look carefully over the island, and to be sure that no new fissure was being made in the earth's surface.
causing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Story of Proserpina When Jupiter made himself ruler of the world, he imprisoned some of the warring giants under Mount Etna in Sicily, much to the disgust of Pluto, who was always fearing that when the giants got restless and turned over and over underground (thus causing earthquakes), they would some day make such a large crack in the earth that daylight would be let into Hades.
Ceres
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This was Proserpina,[36] daughter of Ceres, the goddess of agriculture, a maiden who had ever shunned the thought of marriage and preferred to spend her life playing games, and dancing in the beautiful plain of Enna, where there is never any frost or snow, but springtime lasts through all the year.
coal-black
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One day, as he was driving his four coal-black horses through the vale of Enna, he saw a group of maidens gathering violets on the hillside; and among them was one so exquisitely fair that Pluto determined to take her for his wife.
consent
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Pluto had often tried to gain a wife by gentle means, but no one would consent to share his grewsome home; so, knowing that this maiden he desired would never listen to soft words of love, he determined to take her by force.
crack
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Story of Proserpina When Jupiter made himself ruler of the world, he imprisoned some of the warring giants under Mount Etna in Sicily, much to the disgust of Pluto, who was always fearing that when the giants got restless and turned over and over underground (thus causing earthquakes), they would some day make such a large crack in the earth that daylight would be let into Hades.
dancing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This was Proserpina,[36] daughter of Ceres, the goddess of agriculture, a maiden who had ever shunned the thought of marriage and preferred to spend her life playing games, and dancing in the beautiful plain of Enna, where there is never any frost or snow, but springtime lasts through all the year.
daughter
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This was Proserpina,[36] daughter of Ceres, the goddess of agriculture, a maiden who had ever shunned the thought of marriage and preferred to spend her life playing games, and dancing in the beautiful plain of Enna, where there is never any frost or snow, but springtime lasts through all the year.
day
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Story of Proserpina When Jupiter made himself ruler of the world, he imprisoned some of the warring giants under Mount Etna in Sicily, much to the disgust of Pluto, who was always fearing that when the giants got restless and turned over and over underground (thus causing earthquakes), they would some day make such a large crack in the earth that daylight would be let into Hades.
daylight
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Story of Proserpina When Jupiter made himself ruler of the world, he imprisoned some of the warring giants under Mount Etna in Sicily, much to the disgust of Pluto, who was always fearing that when the giants got restless and turned over and over underground (thus causing earthquakes), they would some day make such a large crack in the earth that daylight would be let into Hades.
desired
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Pluto had often tried to gain a wife by gentle means, but no one would consent to share his grewsome home; so, knowing that this maiden he desired would never listen to soft words of love, he determined to take her by force.
determinedadjectiveUS /dɪˈtɜrmɪnd/
having firmly decided to do something
From this reading One day, as he was driving his four coal-black horses through the vale of Enna, he saw a group of maidens gathering violets on the hillside; and among them was one so exquisitely fair that Pluto determined to take her for his wife.
disgustnounUS /dɪsˈɡʌst/
a strong feeling of dislike or sickness caused by something unpleasant
From this reading The Story of Proserpina When Jupiter made himself ruler of the world, he imprisoned some of the warring giants under Mount Etna in Sicily, much to the disgust of Pluto, who was always fearing that when the giants got restless and turned over and over underground (thus causing earthquakes), they would some day make such a large crack in the earth that daylight would be let into Hades.
driving
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One day, as he was driving his four coal-black horses through the vale of Enna, he saw a group of maidens gathering violets on the hillside; and among them was one so exquisitely fair that Pluto determined to take her for his wife.
earth
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Story of Proserpina When Jupiter made himself ruler of the world, he imprisoned some of the warring giants under Mount Etna in Sicily, much to the disgust of Pluto, who was always fearing that when the giants got restless and turned over and over underground (thus causing earthquakes), they would some day make such a large crack in the earth that daylight would be let into Hades.
earth's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading So Pluto often went up out of his sunless land to look carefully over the island, and to be sure that no new fissure was being made in the earth's surface.
earthquakes
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Story of Proserpina When Jupiter made himself ruler of the world, he imprisoned some of the warring giants under Mount Etna in Sicily, much to the disgust of Pluto, who was always fearing that when the giants got restless and turned over and over underground (thus causing earthquakes), they would some day make such a large crack in the earth that daylight would be let into Hades.
Enna
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One day, as he was driving his four coal-black horses through the vale of Enna, he saw a group of maidens gathering violets on the hillside; and among them was one so exquisitely fair that Pluto determined to take her for his wife.
Etna
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Story of Proserpina When Jupiter made himself ruler of the world, he imprisoned some of the warring giants under Mount Etna in Sicily, much to the disgust of Pluto, who was always fearing that when the giants got restless and turned over and over underground (thus causing earthquakes), they would some day make such a large crack in the earth that daylight would be let into Hades.
evernounUS /ever/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading This was Proserpina,[36] daughter of Ceres, the goddess of agriculture, a maiden who had ever shunned the thought of marriage and preferred to spend her life playing games, and dancing in the beautiful plain of Enna, where there is never any frost or snow, but springtime lasts through all the year.
exquisitely
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One day, as he was driving his four coal-black horses through the vale of Enna, he saw a group of maidens gathering violets on the hillside; and among them was one so exquisitely fair that Pluto determined to take her for his wife.
fairnounUS /fair/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading One day, as he was driving his four coal-black horses through the vale of Enna, he saw a group of maidens gathering violets on the hillside; and among them was one so exquisitely fair that Pluto determined to take her for his wife.
fearing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Story of Proserpina When Jupiter made himself ruler of the world, he imprisoned some of the warring giants under Mount Etna in Sicily, much to the disgust of Pluto, who was always fearing that when the giants got restless and turned over and over underground (thus causing earthquakes), they would some day make such a large crack in the earth that daylight would be let into Hades.
fissure
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading So Pluto often went up out of his sunless land to look carefully over the island, and to be sure that no new fissure was being made in the earth's surface.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading One day, as he was driving his four coal-black horses through the vale of Enna, he saw a group of maidens gathering violets on the hillside; and among them was one so exquisitely fair that Pluto determined to take her for his wife.
force
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Pluto had often tried to gain a wife by gentle means, but no one would consent to share his grewsome home; so, knowing that this maiden he desired would never listen to soft words of love, he determined to take her by force.
four
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One day, as he was driving his four coal-black horses through the vale of Enna, he saw a group of maidens gathering violets on the hillside; and among them was one so exquisitely fair that Pluto determined to take her for his wife.
frost
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This was Proserpina,[36] daughter of Ceres, the goddess of agriculture, a maiden who had ever shunned the thought of marriage and preferred to spend her life playing games, and dancing in the beautiful plain of Enna, where there is never any frost or snow, but springtime lasts through all the year.
gain
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Pluto had often tried to gain a wife by gentle means, but no one would consent to share his grewsome home; so, knowing that this maiden he desired would never listen to soft words of love, he determined to take her by force.
games
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This was Proserpina,[36] daughter of Ceres, the goddess of agriculture, a maiden who had ever shunned the thought of marriage and preferred to spend her life playing games, and dancing in the beautiful plain of Enna, where there is never any frost or snow, but springtime lasts through all the year.
gathering
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One day, as he was driving his four coal-black horses through the vale of Enna, he saw a group of maidens gathering violets on the hillside; and among them was one so exquisitely fair that Pluto determined to take her for his wife.
gentle
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Pluto had often tried to gain a wife by gentle means, but no one would consent to share his grewsome home; so, knowing that this maiden he desired would never listen to soft words of love, he determined to take her by force.
giants
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Story of Proserpina When Jupiter made himself ruler of the world, he imprisoned some of the warring giants under Mount Etna in Sicily, much to the disgust of Pluto, who was always fearing that when the giants got restless and turned over and over underground (thus causing earthquakes), they would some day make such a large crack in the earth that daylight would be let into Hades.
goddess
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This was Proserpina,[36] daughter of Ceres, the goddess of agriculture, a maiden who had ever shunned the thought of marriage and preferred to spend her life playing games, and dancing in the beautiful plain of Enna, where there is never any frost or snow, but springtime lasts through all the year.
got
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Story of Proserpina When Jupiter made himself ruler of the world, he imprisoned some of the warring giants under Mount Etna in Sicily, much to the disgust of Pluto, who was always fearing that when the giants got restless and turned over and over underground (thus causing earthquakes), they would some day make such a large crack in the earth that daylight would be let into Hades.
grewsome
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Pluto had often tried to gain a wife by gentle means, but no one would consent to share his grewsome home; so, knowing that this maiden he desired would never listen to soft words of love, he determined to take her by force.
group
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One day, as he was driving his four coal-black horses through the vale of Enna, he saw a group of maidens gathering violets on the hillside; and among them was one so exquisitely fair that Pluto determined to take her for his wife.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading This was Proserpina,[36] daughter of Ceres, the goddess of agriculture, a maiden who had ever shunned the thought of marriage and preferred to spend her life playing games, and dancing in the beautiful plain of Enna, where there is never any frost or snow, but springtime lasts through all the year.
Hades
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Story of Proserpina When Jupiter made himself ruler of the world, he imprisoned some of the warring giants under Mount Etna in Sicily, much to the disgust of Pluto, who was always fearing that when the giants got restless and turned over and over underground (thus causing earthquakes), they would some day make such a large crack in the earth that daylight would be let into Hades.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The Story of Proserpina When Jupiter made himself ruler of the world, he imprisoned some of the warring giants under Mount Etna in Sicily, much to the disgust of Pluto, who was always fearing that when the giants got restless and turned over and over underground (thus causing earthquakes), they would some day make such a large crack in the earth that daylight would be let into Hades.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading One day, as he was driving his four coal-black horses through the vale of Enna, he saw a group of maidens gathering violets on the hillside; and among them was one so exquisitely fair that Pluto determined to take her for his wife.
hillside
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One day, as he was driving his four coal-black horses through the vale of Enna, he saw a group of maidens gathering violets on the hillside; and among them was one so exquisitely fair that Pluto determined to take her for his wife.
himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading The Story of Proserpina When Jupiter made himself ruler of the world, he imprisoned some of the warring giants under Mount Etna in Sicily, much to the disgust of Pluto, who was always fearing that when the giants got restless and turned over and over underground (thus causing earthquakes), they would some day make such a large crack in the earth that daylight would be let into Hades.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading So Pluto often went up out of his sunless land to look carefully over the island, and to be sure that no new fissure was being made in the earth's surface.
home
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Pluto had often tried to gain a wife by gentle means, but no one would consent to share his grewsome home; so, knowing that this maiden he desired would never listen to soft words of love, he determined to take her by force.
horses
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One day, as he was driving his four coal-black horses through the vale of Enna, he saw a group of maidens gathering violets on the hillside; and among them was one so exquisitely fair that Pluto determined to take her for his wife.
imprisoned
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Story of Proserpina When Jupiter made himself ruler of the world, he imprisoned some of the warring giants under Mount Etna in Sicily, much to the disgust of Pluto, who was always fearing that when the giants got restless and turned over and over underground (thus causing earthquakes), they would some day make such a large crack in the earth that daylight would be let into Hades.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The Story of Proserpina When Jupiter made himself ruler of the world, he imprisoned some of the warring giants under Mount Etna in Sicily, much to the disgust of Pluto, who was always fearing that when the giants got restless and turned over and over underground (thus causing earthquakes), they would some day make such a large crack in the earth that daylight would be let into Hades.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading The Story of Proserpina When Jupiter made himself ruler of the world, he imprisoned some of the warring giants under Mount Etna in Sicily, much to the disgust of Pluto, who was always fearing that when the giants got restless and turned over and over underground (thus causing earthquakes), they would some day make such a large crack in the earth that daylight would be let into Hades.
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading This was Proserpina,[36] daughter of Ceres, the goddess of agriculture, a maiden who had ever shunned the thought of marriage and preferred to spend her life playing games, and dancing in the beautiful plain of Enna, where there is never any frost or snow, but springtime lasts through all the year.
island
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading So Pluto often went up out of his sunless land to look carefully over the island, and to be sure that no new fissure was being made in the earth's surface.
Jupiter
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Story of Proserpina When Jupiter made himself ruler of the world, he imprisoned some of the warring giants under Mount Etna in Sicily, much to the disgust of Pluto, who was always fearing that when the giants got restless and turned over and over underground (thus causing earthquakes), they would some day make such a large crack in the earth that daylight would be let into Hades.
knowing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Pluto had often tried to gain a wife by gentle means, but no one would consent to share his grewsome home; so, knowing that this maiden he desired would never listen to soft words of love, he determined to take her by force.
land
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading So Pluto often went up out of his sunless land to look carefully over the island, and to be sure that no new fissure was being made in the earth's surface.
large
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Story of Proserpina When Jupiter made himself ruler of the world, he imprisoned some of the warring giants under Mount Etna in Sicily, much to the disgust of Pluto, who was always fearing that when the giants got restless and turned over and over underground (thus causing earthquakes), they would some day make such a large crack in the earth that daylight would be let into Hades.
lasts
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This was Proserpina,[36] daughter of Ceres, the goddess of agriculture, a maiden who had ever shunned the thought of marriage and preferred to spend her life playing games, and dancing in the beautiful plain of Enna, where there is never any frost or snow, but springtime lasts through all the year.
letauxiliary verbUS /let/
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading The Story of Proserpina When Jupiter made himself ruler of the world, he imprisoned some of the warring giants under Mount Etna in Sicily, much to the disgust of Pluto, who was always fearing that when the giants got restless and turned over and over underground (thus causing earthquakes), they would some day make such a large crack in the earth that daylight would be let into Hades.
lifenounUS /life/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading This was Proserpina,[36] daughter of Ceres, the goddess of agriculture, a maiden who had ever shunned the thought of marriage and preferred to spend her life playing games, and dancing in the beautiful plain of Enna, where there is never any frost or snow, but springtime lasts through all the year.
listen
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Pluto had often tried to gain a wife by gentle means, but no one would consent to share his grewsome home; so, knowing that this maiden he desired would never listen to soft words of love, he determined to take her by force.
looknounUS /look/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading So Pluto often went up out of his sunless land to look carefully over the island, and to be sure that no new fissure was being made in the earth's surface.
love
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Pluto had often tried to gain a wife by gentle means, but no one would consent to share his grewsome home; so, knowing that this maiden he desired would never listen to soft words of love, he determined to take her by force.
made
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Story of Proserpina When Jupiter made himself ruler of the world, he imprisoned some of the warring giants under Mount Etna in Sicily, much to the disgust of Pluto, who was always fearing that when the giants got restless and turned over and over underground (thus causing earthquakes), they would some day make such a large crack in the earth that daylight would be let into Hades.
maidennoun, literaryUS /ˈmeɪdən/
a young woman who is not married
From this reading This was Proserpina,[36] daughter of Ceres, the goddess of agriculture, a maiden who had ever shunned the thought of marriage and preferred to spend her life playing games, and dancing in the beautiful plain of Enna, where there is never any frost or snow, but springtime lasts through all the year.
maidens
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One day, as he was driving his four coal-black horses through the vale of Enna, he saw a group of maidens gathering violets on the hillside; and among them was one so exquisitely fair that Pluto determined to take her for his wife.
makenounUS /make/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The Story of Proserpina When Jupiter made himself ruler of the world, he imprisoned some of the warring giants under Mount Etna in Sicily, much to the disgust of Pluto, who was always fearing that when the giants got restless and turned over and over underground (thus causing earthquakes), they would some day make such a large crack in the earth that daylight would be let into Hades.
marriage
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This was Proserpina,[36] daughter of Ceres, the goddess of agriculture, a maiden who had ever shunned the thought of marriage and preferred to spend her life playing games, and dancing in the beautiful plain of Enna, where there is never any frost or snow, but springtime lasts through all the year.
means
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Pluto had often tried to gain a wife by gentle means, but no one would consent to share his grewsome home; so, knowing that this maiden he desired would never listen to soft words of love, he determined to take her by force.
Mount
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Story of Proserpina When Jupiter made himself ruler of the world, he imprisoned some of the warring giants under Mount Etna in Sicily, much to the disgust of Pluto, who was always fearing that when the giants got restless and turned over and over underground (thus causing earthquakes), they would some day make such a large crack in the earth that daylight would be let into Hades.
much
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Story of Proserpina When Jupiter made himself ruler of the world, he imprisoned some of the warring giants under Mount Etna in Sicily, much to the disgust of Pluto, who was always fearing that when the giants got restless and turned over and over underground (thus causing earthquakes), they would some day make such a large crack in the earth that daylight would be let into Hades.
nevernounUS /never/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading This was Proserpina,[36] daughter of Ceres, the goddess of agriculture, a maiden who had ever shunned the thought of marriage and preferred to spend her life playing games, and dancing in the beautiful plain of Enna, where there is never any frost or snow, but springtime lasts through all the year.
new
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading So Pluto often went up out of his sunless land to look carefully over the island, and to be sure that no new fissure was being made in the earth's surface.
nodeterminerUS /noʊ/
not any; not one
From this reading So Pluto often went up out of his sunless land to look carefully over the island, and to be sure that no new fissure was being made in the earth's surface.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The Story of Proserpina When Jupiter made himself ruler of the world, he imprisoned some of the warring giants under Mount Etna in Sicily, much to the disgust of Pluto, who was always fearing that when the giants got restless and turned over and over underground (thus causing earthquakes), they would some day make such a large crack in the earth that daylight would be let into Hades.
often
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading So Pluto often went up out of his sunless land to look carefully over the island, and to be sure that no new fissure was being made in the earth's surface.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading One day, as he was driving his four coal-black horses through the vale of Enna, he saw a group of maidens gathering violets on the hillside; and among them was one so exquisitely fair that Pluto determined to take her for his wife.
OnepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading One day, as he was driving his four coal-black horses through the vale of Enna, he saw a group of maidens gathering violets on the hillside; and among them was one so exquisitely fair that Pluto determined to take her for his wife.
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading This was Proserpina,[36] daughter of Ceres, the goddess of agriculture, a maiden who had ever shunned the thought of marriage and preferred to spend her life playing games, and dancing in the beautiful plain of Enna, where there is never any frost or snow, but springtime lasts through all the year.
out
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading So Pluto often went up out of his sunless land to look carefully over the island, and to be sure that no new fissure was being made in the earth's surface.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading The Story of Proserpina When Jupiter made himself ruler of the world, he imprisoned some of the warring giants under Mount Etna in Sicily, much to the disgust of Pluto, who was always fearing that when the giants got restless and turned over and over underground (thus causing earthquakes), they would some day make such a large crack in the earth that daylight would be let into Hades.
plain
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This was Proserpina,[36] daughter of Ceres, the goddess of agriculture, a maiden who had ever shunned the thought of marriage and preferred to spend her life playing games, and dancing in the beautiful plain of Enna, where there is never any frost or snow, but springtime lasts through all the year.
playing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This was Proserpina,[36] daughter of Ceres, the goddess of agriculture, a maiden who had ever shunned the thought of marriage and preferred to spend her life playing games, and dancing in the beautiful plain of Enna, where there is never any frost or snow, but springtime lasts through all the year.
Pluto
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Story of Proserpina When Jupiter made himself ruler of the world, he imprisoned some of the warring giants under Mount Etna in Sicily, much to the disgust of Pluto, who was always fearing that when the giants got restless and turned over and over underground (thus causing earthquakes), they would some day make such a large crack in the earth that daylight would be let into Hades.
preferred
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This was Proserpina,[36] daughter of Ceres, the goddess of agriculture, a maiden who had ever shunned the thought of marriage and preferred to spend her life playing games, and dancing in the beautiful plain of Enna, where there is never any frost or snow, but springtime lasts through all the year.
Proserpina
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Story of Proserpina When Jupiter made himself ruler of the world, he imprisoned some of the warring giants under Mount Etna in Sicily, much to the disgust of Pluto, who was always fearing that when the giants got restless and turned over and over underground (thus causing earthquakes), they would some day make such a large crack in the earth that daylight would be let into Hades.
restless
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Story of Proserpina When Jupiter made himself ruler of the world, he imprisoned some of the warring giants under Mount Etna in Sicily, much to the disgust of Pluto, who was always fearing that when the giants got restless and turned over and over underground (thus causing earthquakes), they would some day make such a large crack in the earth that daylight would be let into Hades.
ruler
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Story of Proserpina When Jupiter made himself ruler of the world, he imprisoned some of the warring giants under Mount Etna in Sicily, much to the disgust of Pluto, who was always fearing that when the giants got restless and turned over and over underground (thus causing earthquakes), they would some day make such a large crack in the earth that daylight would be let into Hades.
saw
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One day, as he was driving his four coal-black horses through the vale of Enna, he saw a group of maidens gathering violets on the hillside; and among them was one so exquisitely fair that Pluto determined to take her for his wife.
share
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Pluto had often tried to gain a wife by gentle means, but no one would consent to share his grewsome home; so, knowing that this maiden he desired would never listen to soft words of love, he determined to take her by force.
shunned
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This was Proserpina,[36] daughter of Ceres, the goddess of agriculture, a maiden who had ever shunned the thought of marriage and preferred to spend her life playing games, and dancing in the beautiful plain of Enna, where there is never any frost or snow, but springtime lasts through all the year.
Sicily
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Story of Proserpina When Jupiter made himself ruler of the world, he imprisoned some of the warring giants under Mount Etna in Sicily, much to the disgust of Pluto, who was always fearing that when the giants got restless and turned over and over underground (thus causing earthquakes), they would some day make such a large crack in the earth that daylight would be let into Hades.
snow
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This was Proserpina,[36] daughter of Ceres, the goddess of agriculture, a maiden who had ever shunned the thought of marriage and preferred to spend her life playing games, and dancing in the beautiful plain of Enna, where there is never any frost or snow, but springtime lasts through all the year.
SoconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading So Pluto often went up out of his sunless land to look carefully over the island, and to be sure that no new fissure was being made in the earth's surface.
soft
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Pluto had often tried to gain a wife by gentle means, but no one would consent to share his grewsome home; so, knowing that this maiden he desired would never listen to soft words of love, he determined to take her by force.
some
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Story of Proserpina When Jupiter made himself ruler of the world, he imprisoned some of the warring giants under Mount Etna in Sicily, much to the disgust of Pluto, who was always fearing that when the giants got restless and turned over and over underground (thus causing earthquakes), they would some day make such a large crack in the earth that daylight would be let into Hades.
spend
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This was Proserpina,[36] daughter of Ceres, the goddess of agriculture, a maiden who had ever shunned the thought of marriage and preferred to spend her life playing games, and dancing in the beautiful plain of Enna, where there is never any frost or snow, but springtime lasts through all the year.
springtime
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This was Proserpina,[36] daughter of Ceres, the goddess of agriculture, a maiden who had ever shunned the thought of marriage and preferred to spend her life playing games, and dancing in the beautiful plain of Enna, where there is never any frost or snow, but springtime lasts through all the year.
StorynounUS /ˈstɔːri/
a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading The Story of Proserpina When Jupiter made himself ruler of the world, he imprisoned some of the warring giants under Mount Etna in Sicily, much to the disgust of Pluto, who was always fearing that when the giants got restless and turned over and over underground (thus causing earthquakes), they would some day make such a large crack in the earth that daylight would be let into Hades.
suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading The Story of Proserpina When Jupiter made himself ruler of the world, he imprisoned some of the warring giants under Mount Etna in Sicily, much to the disgust of Pluto, who was always fearing that when the giants got restless and turned over and over underground (thus causing earthquakes), they would some day make such a large crack in the earth that daylight would be let into Hades.
sunless
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading So Pluto often went up out of his sunless land to look carefully over the island, and to be sure that no new fissure was being made in the earth's surface.
surenounUS /sure/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading So Pluto often went up out of his sunless land to look carefully over the island, and to be sure that no new fissure was being made in the earth's surface.
surface
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading So Pluto often went up out of his sunless land to look carefully over the island, and to be sure that no new fissure was being made in the earth's surface.
takenounUS /take/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading One day, as he was driving his four coal-black horses through the vale of Enna, he saw a group of maidens gathering violets on the hillside; and among them was one so exquisitely fair that Pluto determined to take her for his wife.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The Story of Proserpina When Jupiter made himself ruler of the world, he imprisoned some of the warring giants under Mount Etna in Sicily, much to the disgust of Pluto, who was always fearing that when the giants got restless and turned over and over underground (thus causing earthquakes), they would some day make such a large crack in the earth that daylight would be let into Hades.
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The Story of Proserpina When Jupiter made himself ruler of the world, he imprisoned some of the warring giants under Mount Etna in Sicily, much to the disgust of Pluto, who was always fearing that when the giants got restless and turned over and over underground (thus causing earthquakes), they would some day make such a large crack in the earth that daylight would be let into Hades.
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading One day, as he was driving his four coal-black horses through the vale of Enna, he saw a group of maidens gathering violets on the hillside; and among them was one so exquisitely fair that Pluto determined to take her for his wife.
there
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This was Proserpina,[36] daughter of Ceres, the goddess of agriculture, a maiden who had ever shunned the thought of marriage and preferred to spend her life playing games, and dancing in the beautiful plain of Enna, where there is never any frost or snow, but springtime lasts through all the year.
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The Story of Proserpina When Jupiter made himself ruler of the world, he imprisoned some of the warring giants under Mount Etna in Sicily, much to the disgust of Pluto, who was always fearing that when the giants got restless and turned over and over underground (thus causing earthquakes), they would some day make such a large crack in the earth that daylight would be let into Hades.
ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This was Proserpina,[36] daughter of Ceres, the goddess of agriculture, a maiden who had ever shunned the thought of marriage and preferred to spend her life playing games, and dancing in the beautiful plain of Enna, where there is never any frost or snow, but springtime lasts through all the year.
thoughtnounUS /thought/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading This was Proserpina,[36] daughter of Ceres, the goddess of agriculture, a maiden who had ever shunned the thought of marriage and preferred to spend her life playing games, and dancing in the beautiful plain of Enna, where there is never any frost or snow, but springtime lasts through all the year.
throughnounUS /ˈthrough/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading One day, as he was driving his four coal-black horses through the vale of Enna, he saw a group of maidens gathering violets on the hillside; and among them was one so exquisitely fair that Pluto determined to take her for his wife.
thus
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Story of Proserpina When Jupiter made himself ruler of the world, he imprisoned some of the warring giants under Mount Etna in Sicily, much to the disgust of Pluto, who was always fearing that when the giants got restless and turned over and over underground (thus causing earthquakes), they would some day make such a large crack in the earth that daylight would be let into Hades.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The Story of Proserpina When Jupiter made himself ruler of the world, he imprisoned some of the warring giants under Mount Etna in Sicily, much to the disgust of Pluto, who was always fearing that when the giants got restless and turned over and over underground (thus causing earthquakes), they would some day make such a large crack in the earth that daylight would be let into Hades.
tried
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Pluto had often tried to gain a wife by gentle means, but no one would consent to share his grewsome home; so, knowing that this maiden he desired would never listen to soft words of love, he determined to take her by force.
turned
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Story of Proserpina When Jupiter made himself ruler of the world, he imprisoned some of the warring giants under Mount Etna in Sicily, much to the disgust of Pluto, who was always fearing that when the giants got restless and turned over and over underground (thus causing earthquakes), they would some day make such a large crack in the earth that daylight would be let into Hades.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading The Story of Proserpina When Jupiter made himself ruler of the world, he imprisoned some of the warring giants under Mount Etna in Sicily, much to the disgust of Pluto, who was always fearing that when the giants got restless and turned over and over underground (thus causing earthquakes), they would some day make such a large crack in the earth that daylight would be let into Hades.
underground
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Story of Proserpina When Jupiter made himself ruler of the world, he imprisoned some of the warring giants under Mount Etna in Sicily, much to the disgust of Pluto, who was always fearing that when the giants got restless and turned over and over underground (thus causing earthquakes), they would some day make such a large crack in the earth that daylight would be let into Hades.
up
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading So Pluto often went up out of his sunless land to look carefully over the island, and to be sure that no new fissure was being made in the earth's surface.
vale
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One day, as he was driving his four coal-black horses through the vale of Enna, he saw a group of maidens gathering violets on the hillside; and among them was one so exquisitely fair that Pluto determined to take her for his wife.
violets
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One day, as he was driving his four coal-black horses through the vale of Enna, he saw a group of maidens gathering violets on the hillside; and among them was one so exquisitely fair that Pluto determined to take her for his wife.
warring
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Story of Proserpina When Jupiter made himself ruler of the world, he imprisoned some of the warring giants under Mount Etna in Sicily, much to the disgust of Pluto, who was always fearing that when the giants got restless and turned over and over underground (thus causing earthquakes), they would some day make such a large crack in the earth that daylight would be let into Hades.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The Story of Proserpina When Jupiter made himself ruler of the world, he imprisoned some of the warring giants under Mount Etna in Sicily, much to the disgust of Pluto, who was always fearing that when the giants got restless and turned over and over underground (thus causing earthquakes), they would some day make such a large crack in the earth that daylight would be let into Hades.
wentnounUS /went/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading So Pluto often went up out of his sunless land to look carefully over the island, and to be sure that no new fissure was being made in the earth's surface.
WhenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading The Story of Proserpina When Jupiter made himself ruler of the world, he imprisoned some of the warring giants under Mount Etna in Sicily, much to the disgust of Pluto, who was always fearing that when the giants got restless and turned over and over underground (thus causing earthquakes), they would some day make such a large crack in the earth that daylight would be let into Hades.
whereconjunctionUS /wer/
in or at the place that
From this reading This was Proserpina,[36] daughter of Ceres, the goddess of agriculture, a maiden who had ever shunned the thought of marriage and preferred to spend her life playing games, and dancing in the beautiful plain of Enna, where there is never any frost or snow, but springtime lasts through all the year.
whopronounUS /huː/
which person or people
From this reading The Story of Proserpina When Jupiter made himself ruler of the world, he imprisoned some of the warring giants under Mount Etna in Sicily, much to the disgust of Pluto, who was always fearing that when the giants got restless and turned over and over underground (thus causing earthquakes), they would some day make such a large crack in the earth that daylight would be let into Hades.
wife
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One day, as he was driving his four coal-black horses through the vale of Enna, he saw a group of maidens gathering violets on the hillside; and among them was one so exquisitely fair that Pluto determined to take her for his wife.
words
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Pluto had often tried to gain a wife by gentle means, but no one would consent to share his grewsome home; so, knowing that this maiden he desired would never listen to soft words of love, he determined to take her by force.
world
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Story of Proserpina When Jupiter made himself ruler of the world, he imprisoned some of the warring giants under Mount Etna in Sicily, much to the disgust of Pluto, who was always fearing that when the giants got restless and turned over and over underground (thus causing earthquakes), they would some day make such a large crack in the earth that daylight would be let into Hades.
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading The Story of Proserpina When Jupiter made himself ruler of the world, he imprisoned some of the warring giants under Mount Etna in Sicily, much to the disgust of Pluto, who was always fearing that when the giants got restless and turned over and over underground (thus causing earthquakes), they would some day make such a large crack in the earth that daylight would be let into Hades.
year
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This was Proserpina,[36] daughter of Ceres, the goddess of agriculture, a maiden who had ever shunned the thought of marriage and preferred to spend her life playing games, and dancing in the beautiful plain of Enna, where there is never any frost or snow, but springtime lasts through all the year.