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 He realised, somewhat dimly, that he was no more than a pawn in the game.
all
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From this reading At the same time, he could not help realising that, in all probability, he had fallen out of the frying-pan into the fire.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading He had been delivered with dramatic suddenness at the eleventh hour.
atmosphere
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A few moments since, he had stood defenceless in the stifling atmosphere of the opium den; he had beheld the knife raised to strike him down.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading He had been delivered with dramatic suddenness at the eleventh hour.
beheld
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A few moments since, he had stood defenceless in the stifling atmosphere of the opium den; he had beheld the knife raised to strike him down.
chapter
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From this reading Frank had neither time to consider the extraordinary sequence of events narrated in the previous chapter nor the slightest inclination to speculate in regard to the future.
consider
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From this reading Frank had neither time to consider the extraordinary sequence of events narrated in the previous chapter nor the slightest inclination to speculate in regard to the future.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading At the same time, he could not help realising that, in all probability, he had fallen out of the frying-pan into the fire.
defenceless
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From this reading A few moments since, he had stood defenceless in the stifling atmosphere of the opium den; he had beheld the knife raised to strike him down.
delivered
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From this reading He had been delivered with dramatic suddenness at the eleventh hour.
den
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From this reading A few moments since, he had stood defenceless in the stifling atmosphere of the opium den; he had beheld the knife raised to strike him down.
dimly
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From this reading He realised, somewhat dimly, that he was no more than a pawn in the game.
down
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From this reading A few moments since, he had stood defenceless in the stifling atmosphere of the opium den; he had beheld the knife raised to strike him down.
dramatic
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From this reading He had been delivered with dramatic suddenness at the eleventh hour.
eleventh
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From this reading He had been delivered with dramatic suddenness at the eleventh hour.
events
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From this reading Frank had neither time to consider the extraordinary sequence of events narrated in the previous chapter nor the slightest inclination to speculate in regard to the future.
extraordinary
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From this reading Frank had neither time to consider the extraordinary sequence of events narrated in the previous chapter nor the slightest inclination to speculate in regard to the future.
fallen
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From this reading At the same time, he could not help realising that, in all probability, he had fallen out of the frying-pan into the fire.
few
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From this reading A few moments since, he had stood defenceless in the stifling atmosphere of the opium den; he had beheld the knife raised to strike him down.
fire
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At the same time, he could not help realising that, in all probability, he had fallen out of the frying-pan into the fire.
Frank
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From this reading Frank had neither time to consider the extraordinary sequence of events narrated in the previous chapter nor the slightest inclination to speculate in regard to the future.
frying-pan
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From this reading At the same time, he could not help realising that, in all probability, he had fallen out of the frying-pan into the fire.
future
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From this reading Frank had neither time to consider the extraordinary sequence of events narrated in the previous chapter nor the slightest inclination to speculate in regard to the future.
game
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He realised, somewhat dimly, that he was no more than a pawn in the game.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Frank had neither time to consider the extraordinary sequence of events narrated in the previous chapter nor the slightest inclination to speculate in regard to the future.
HepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He realised, somewhat dimly, that he was no more than a pawn in the game.
helpnounUS /help/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading At the same time, he could not help realising that, in all probability, he had fallen out of the frying-pan into the fire.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading A few moments since, he had stood defenceless in the stifling atmosphere of the opium den; he had beheld the knife raised to strike him down.
hour
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had been delivered with dramatic suddenness at the eleventh hour.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Frank had neither time to consider the extraordinary sequence of events narrated in the previous chapter nor the slightest inclination to speculate in regard to the future.
inclination
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From this reading Frank had neither time to consider the extraordinary sequence of events narrated in the previous chapter nor the slightest inclination to speculate in regard to the future.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading At the same time, he could not help realising that, in all probability, he had fallen out of the frying-pan into the fire.
knife
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A few moments since, he had stood defenceless in the stifling atmosphere of the opium den; he had beheld the knife raised to strike him down.
moments
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From this reading A few moments since, he had stood defenceless in the stifling atmosphere of the opium den; he had beheld the knife raised to strike him down.
more
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He realised, somewhat dimly, that he was no more than a pawn in the game.
narrated
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From this reading Frank had neither time to consider the extraordinary sequence of events narrated in the previous chapter nor the slightest inclination to speculate in regard to the future.
neitherdeterminerUS /ˈniːðər/
not one and not the other of two
From this reading Frank had neither time to consider the extraordinary sequence of events narrated in the previous chapter nor the slightest inclination to speculate in regard to the future.
nodeterminerUS /noʊ/
not any; not one
From this reading He realised, somewhat dimly, that he was no more than a pawn in the game.
norconjunctionUS /nɔːr/
and not; used after a negative to add a second negative
From this reading Frank had neither time to consider the extraordinary sequence of events narrated in the previous chapter nor the slightest inclination to speculate in regard to the future.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading At the same time, he could not help realising that, in all probability, he had fallen out of the frying-pan into the fire.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Frank had neither time to consider the extraordinary sequence of events narrated in the previous chapter nor the slightest inclination to speculate in regard to the future.
opium
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A few moments since, he had stood defenceless in the stifling atmosphere of the opium den; he had beheld the knife raised to strike him down.
out
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At the same time, he could not help realising that, in all probability, he had fallen out of the frying-pan into the fire.
pawn
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He realised, somewhat dimly, that he was no more than a pawn in the game.
previous
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Frank had neither time to consider the extraordinary sequence of events narrated in the previous chapter nor the slightest inclination to speculate in regard to the future.
probability
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At the same time, he could not help realising that, in all probability, he had fallen out of the frying-pan into the fire.
raised
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A few moments since, he had stood defenceless in the stifling atmosphere of the opium den; he had beheld the knife raised to strike him down.
realised
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He realised, somewhat dimly, that he was no more than a pawn in the game.
realising
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At the same time, he could not help realising that, in all probability, he had fallen out of the frying-pan into the fire.
regard
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Frank had neither time to consider the extraordinary sequence of events narrated in the previous chapter nor the slightest inclination to speculate in regard to the future.
samenounUS /same/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading At the same time, he could not help realising that, in all probability, he had fallen out of the frying-pan into the fire.
sequence
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Frank had neither time to consider the extraordinary sequence of events narrated in the previous chapter nor the slightest inclination to speculate in regard to the future.
sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/
from a time in the past until now
From this reading A few moments since, he had stood defenceless in the stifling atmosphere of the opium den; he had beheld the knife raised to strike him down.
slightest
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Frank had neither time to consider the extraordinary sequence of events narrated in the previous chapter nor the slightest inclination to speculate in regard to the future.
somewhat
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He realised, somewhat dimly, that he was no more than a pawn in the game.
speculate
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Frank had neither time to consider the extraordinary sequence of events narrated in the previous chapter nor the slightest inclination to speculate in regard to the future.
stifling
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A few moments since, he had stood defenceless in the stifling atmosphere of the opium den; he had beheld the knife raised to strike him down.
stoodnounUS /stood/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading A few moments since, he had stood defenceless in the stifling atmosphere of the opium den; he had beheld the knife raised to strike him down.
strike
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A few moments since, he had stood defenceless in the stifling atmosphere of the opium den; he had beheld the knife raised to strike him down.
suddenness
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had been delivered with dramatic suddenness at the eleventh hour.
thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading He realised, somewhat dimly, that he was no more than a pawn in the game.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He realised, somewhat dimly, that he was no more than a pawn in the game.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Frank had neither time to consider the extraordinary sequence of events narrated in the previous chapter nor the slightest inclination to speculate in regard to the future.
timenounUS /time/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Frank had neither time to consider the extraordinary sequence of events narrated in the previous chapter nor the slightest inclination to speculate in regard to the future.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Frank had neither time to consider the extraordinary sequence of events narrated in the previous chapter nor the slightest inclination to speculate in regard to the future.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He realised, somewhat dimly, that he was no more than a pawn in the game.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading He had been delivered with dramatic suddenness at the eleventh hour.
