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 Scarcely a month before the events described in the opening chapter took place, the stranger and a young woman, who was his companion, had appeared in the community.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading There was little that seemed mysterious about them at the outset.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading The mystery developed itself from their after reserve and seclusion.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Scarcely a month before the events described in the opening chapter took place, the stranger and a young woman, who was his companion, had appeared in the community.
appeared
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Scarcely a month before the events described in the opening chapter took place, the stranger and a young woman, who was his companion, had appeared in the community.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading There was little that seemed mysterious about them at the outset.
awakened
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was nothing unusual in the circumstance except that they had appeared suddenly and entirely unheralded; but this in itself would have awakened no special comment.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading A long, uninhabited cabin, a score or so of yards from the mountain road, had been roughly patched up and taken possession of by them.
beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Scarcely a month before the events described in the opening chapter took place, the stranger and a young woman, who was his companion, had appeared in the community.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading There was nothing unusual in the circumstance except that they had appeared suddenly and entirely unheralded; but this in itself would have awakened no special comment.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading A long, uninhabited cabin, a score or so of yards from the mountain road, had been roughly patched up and taken possession of by them.
cabin
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A long, uninhabited cabin, a score or so of yards from the mountain road, had been roughly patched up and taken possession of by them.
chapter
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From this reading Scarcely a month before the events described in the opening chapter took place, the stranger and a young woman, who was his companion, had appeared in the community.
circumstance
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From this reading There was nothing unusual in the circumstance except that they had appeared suddenly and entirely unheralded; but this in itself would have awakened no special comment.
comment
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From this reading There was nothing unusual in the circumstance except that they had appeared suddenly and entirely unheralded; but this in itself would have awakened no special comment.
community
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From this reading Scarcely a month before the events described in the opening chapter took place, the stranger and a young woman, who was his companion, had appeared in the community.
companion
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Scarcely a month before the events described in the opening chapter took place, the stranger and a young woman, who was his companion, had appeared in the community.
described
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Scarcely a month before the events described in the opening chapter took place, the stranger and a young woman, who was his companion, had appeared in the community.
developed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The mystery developed itself from their after reserve and seclusion.
entirelynounUS /ˈentirely/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading There was nothing unusual in the circumstance except that they had appeared suddenly and entirely unheralded; but this in itself would have awakened no special comment.
events
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From this reading Scarcely a month before the events described in the opening chapter took place, the stranger and a young woman, who was his companion, had appeared in the community.
exceptprepositionUS /ɪkˈsept/
apart from; not including
From this reading There was nothing unusual in the circumstance except that they had appeared suddenly and entirely unheralded; but this in itself would have awakened no special comment.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading A long, uninhabited cabin, a score or so of yards from the mountain road, had been roughly patched up and taken possession of by them.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Scarcely a month before the events described in the opening chapter took place, the stranger and a young woman, who was his companion, had appeared in the community.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading There was nothing unusual in the circumstance except that they had appeared suddenly and entirely unheralded; but this in itself would have awakened no special comment.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Scarcely a month before the events described in the opening chapter took place, the stranger and a young woman, who was his companion, had appeared in the community.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Scarcely a month before the events described in the opening chapter took place, the stranger and a young woman, who was his companion, had appeared in the community.
itselfpronounUS /ˌɪtˈself/
used when the thing doing the action is also its object
From this reading There was nothing unusual in the circumstance except that they had appeared suddenly and entirely unheralded; but this in itself would have awakened no special comment.
littlenounUS /little/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading There was little that seemed mysterious about them at the outset.
longnounUS /long/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading A long, uninhabited cabin, a score or so of yards from the mountain road, had been roughly patched up and taken possession of by them.
month
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Scarcely a month before the events described in the opening chapter took place, the stranger and a young woman, who was his companion, had appeared in the community.
mountain
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A long, uninhabited cabin, a score or so of yards from the mountain road, had been roughly patched up and taken possession of by them.
mysteriousadjectiveUS /mɪˈstɪriəs/
difficult to explain or understand
From this reading There was little that seemed mysterious about them at the outset.
mystery
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The mystery developed itself from their after reserve and seclusion.
nodeterminerUS /noʊ/
not any; not one
From this reading There was nothing unusual in the circumstance except that they had appeared suddenly and entirely unheralded; but this in itself would have awakened no special comment.
nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/
not one thing; not anything
From this reading There was nothing unusual in the circumstance except that they had appeared suddenly and entirely unheralded; but this in itself would have awakened no special comment.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A long, uninhabited cabin, a score or so of yards from the mountain road, had been roughly patched up and taken possession of by them.
opening
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Scarcely a month before the events described in the opening chapter took place, the stranger and a young woman, who was his companion, had appeared in the community.
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading A long, uninhabited cabin, a score or so of yards from the mountain road, had been roughly patched up and taken possession of by them.
outset
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was little that seemed mysterious about them at the outset.
patched
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A long, uninhabited cabin, a score or so of yards from the mountain road, had been roughly patched up and taken possession of by them.
place
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Scarcely a month before the events described in the opening chapter took place, the stranger and a young woman, who was his companion, had appeared in the community.
possession
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A long, uninhabited cabin, a score or so of yards from the mountain road, had been roughly patched up and taken possession of by them.
reserve
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The mystery developed itself from their after reserve and seclusion.
road
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A long, uninhabited cabin, a score or so of yards from the mountain road, had been roughly patched up and taken possession of by them.
roughly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A long, uninhabited cabin, a score or so of yards from the mountain road, had been roughly patched up and taken possession of by them.
Scarcely
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Scarcely a month before the events described in the opening chapter took place, the stranger and a young woman, who was his companion, had appeared in the community.
scorenounUS /score/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading A long, uninhabited cabin, a score or so of yards from the mountain road, had been roughly patched up and taken possession of by them.
seclusion
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The mystery developed itself from their after reserve and seclusion.
seemednounUS /seemed/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading There was little that seemed mysterious about them at the outset.
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading A long, uninhabited cabin, a score or so of yards from the mountain road, had been roughly patched up and taken possession of by them.
special
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was nothing unusual in the circumstance except that they had appeared suddenly and entirely unheralded; but this in itself would have awakened no special comment.
stranger
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Scarcely a month before the events described in the opening chapter took place, the stranger and a young woman, who was his companion, had appeared in the community.
suddenlynounUS /ˈsuddenly/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading There was nothing unusual in the circumstance except that they had appeared suddenly and entirely unheralded; but this in itself would have awakened no special comment.
taken
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A long, uninhabited cabin, a score or so of yards from the mountain road, had been roughly patched up and taken possession of by them.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading There was little that seemed mysterious about them at the outset.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Scarcely a month before the events described in the opening chapter took place, the stranger and a young woman, who was his companion, had appeared in the community.
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading The mystery developed itself from their after reserve and seclusion.
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading There was little that seemed mysterious about them at the outset.
There
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was little that seemed mysterious about them at the outset.
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading There was nothing unusual in the circumstance except that they had appeared suddenly and entirely unheralded; but this in itself would have awakened no special comment.
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading There was nothing unusual in the circumstance except that they had appeared suddenly and entirely unheralded; but this in itself would have awakened no special comment.
tooknounUS /took/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Scarcely a month before the events described in the opening chapter took place, the stranger and a young woman, who was his companion, had appeared in the community.
unheralded
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was nothing unusual in the circumstance except that they had appeared suddenly and entirely unheralded; but this in itself would have awakened no special comment.
uninhabited
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A long, uninhabited cabin, a score or so of yards from the mountain road, had been roughly patched up and taken possession of by them.
unusual
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was nothing unusual in the circumstance except that they had appeared suddenly and entirely unheralded; but this in itself would have awakened no special comment.
up
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A long, uninhabited cabin, a score or so of yards from the mountain road, had been roughly patched up and taken possession of by them.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Scarcely a month before the events described in the opening chapter took place, the stranger and a young woman, who was his companion, had appeared in the community.
whopronounUS /huː/
which person or people
From this reading Scarcely a month before the events described in the opening chapter took place, the stranger and a young woman, who was his companion, had appeared in the community.
woman
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Scarcely a month before the events described in the opening chapter took place, the stranger and a young woman, who was his companion, had appeared in the community.
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading There was nothing unusual in the circumstance except that they had appeared suddenly and entirely unheralded; but this in itself would have awakened no special comment.
yards
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A long, uninhabited cabin, a score or so of yards from the mountain road, had been roughly patched up and taken possession of by them.
young
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Scarcely a month before the events described in the opening chapter took place, the stranger and a young woman, who was his companion, had appeared in the community.
