Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Middlemarch
Middlemarch

Chapter IX

Cover illustration for Middlemarch
Context Illustration Reading 1/72 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
“The clerkly person smiled and said Promise was a pretty maid, But being poor she died unwed.”
The Rev. Camden Farebrother, whom Lydgate went to see the next evening, lived in an old parsonage, built of stone, venerable enough to match the church which it looked out upon.
All the furniture too in the house was old, but with another grade of age—that of Mr. Farebrother’s father and grandfather.
There were painted white chairs, with gilding and wreaths on them, and some lingering red silk damask with slits in it.
There were engraved portraits of Lord Chancellors and other celebrated lawyers of the last century; and there were old pier-glasses to reflect them, as well as the little satin-wood tables and the sofas resembling a prolongation of uneasy chairs, all standing in relief against the dark wainscot.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Middlemarch

Chapter IX

Reading 1/72 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
“The clerkly person smiled and said Promise was a pretty maid, But being poor she died unwed.”
Line 2
The Rev. Camden Farebrother, whom Lydgate went to see the next evening, lived in an old parsonage, built of stone, venerable enough to match the church which it looked out upon.
Line 3
All the furniture too in the house was old, but with another grade of age—that of Mr. Farebrother’s father and grandfather.
Line 4
There were painted white chairs, with gilding and wreaths on them, and some lingering red silk damask with slits in it.
Line 5
There were engraved portraits of Lord Chancellors and other celebrated lawyers of the last century; and there were old pier-glasses to reflect them, as well as the little satin-wood tables and the sofas resembling a prolongation of uneasy chairs, all standing in relief against the dark wainscot.

Learner Dictionary

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, audio, and collocations from this reading.

Against preposition US /əˈɡenst/

touching and pressing; in opposition to

From this reading “There were engraved portraits of Lord Chancellors and other celebrated lawyers of the last century; and there were old pier-glasses to reflect them, as well as the little satin-wood tables and the sofas resembling a prolongation of uneasy chairs, all standing in relief against the dark wainscot.”

Another noun US /ˈanother/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading “All the furniture too in the house was old, but with another grade of age—that of Mr. Farebrother’s father and grandfather.”

Being auxiliary verb US /ˈbiːɪŋ/

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading ““The clerkly person smiled and said Promise was a pretty maid, But being poor she died unwed.””

Last noun US /last/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “There were engraved portraits of Lord Chancellors and other celebrated lawyers of the last century; and there were old pier-glasses to reflect them, as well as the little satin-wood tables and the sofas resembling a prolongation of uneasy chairs, all standing in relief against the dark wainscot.”

Little noun US /little/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “There were engraved portraits of Lord Chancellors and other celebrated lawyers of the last century; and there were old pier-glasses to reflect them, as well as the little satin-wood tables and the sofas resembling a prolongation of uneasy chairs, all standing in relief against the dark wainscot.”

Looked noun US /looked/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The Rev. Camden Farebrother, whom Lydgate went to see the next evening, lived in an old parsonage, built of stone, venerable enough to match the church which it looked out upon.”

Next noun US /next/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The Rev. Camden Farebrother, whom Lydgate went to see the next evening, lived in an old parsonage, built of stone, venerable enough to match the church which it looked out upon.”

Poor noun US /poor/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading ““The clerkly person smiled and said Promise was a pretty maid, But being poor she died unwed.””

Relief noun US /rɪˈliːf/

a feeling of comfort after worry or pain

From this reading “There were engraved portraits of Lord Chancellors and other celebrated lawyers of the last century; and there were old pier-glasses to reflect them, as well as the little satin-wood tables and the sofas resembling a prolongation of uneasy chairs, all standing in relief against the dark wainscot.”

Standing noun US /ˈstanding/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading “There were engraved portraits of Lord Chancellors and other celebrated lawyers of the last century; and there were old pier-glasses to reflect them, as well as the little satin-wood tables and the sofas resembling a prolongation of uneasy chairs, all standing in relief against the dark wainscot.”

Upon preposition US /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading “The Rev. Camden Farebrother, whom Lydgate went to see the next evening, lived in an old parsonage, built of stone, venerable enough to match the church which it looked out upon.”

Well noun US /well/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “There were engraved portraits of Lord Chancellors and other celebrated lawyers of the last century; and there were old pier-glasses to reflect them, as well as the little satin-wood tables and the sofas resembling a prolongation of uneasy chairs, all standing in relief against the dark wainscot.”

Went noun US /went/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The Rev. Camden Farebrother, whom Lydgate went to see the next evening, lived in an old parsonage, built of stone, venerable enough to match the church which it looked out upon.”

All words in this reading · 97

Every word is available to listen to. Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading “The clerkly person smiled and said Promise was a pretty maid, But being poor she died unwed.”

againstprepositionUS /əˈɡenst/

touching and pressing; in opposition to

From this reading There were engraved portraits of Lord Chancellors and other celebrated lawyers of the last century; and there were old pier-glasses to reflect them, as well as the little satin-wood tables and the sofas resembling a prolongation of uneasy chairs, all standing in relief against the dark wainscot.

age

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading All the furniture too in the house was old, but with another grade of age—that of Mr. Farebrother’s father and grandfather.

All

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading All the furniture too in the house was old, but with another grade of age—that of Mr. Farebrother’s father and grandfather.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading The Rev. Camden Farebrother, whom Lydgate went to see the next evening, lived in an old parsonage, built of stone, venerable enough to match the church which it looked out upon.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading “The clerkly person smiled and said Promise was a pretty maid, But being poor she died unwed.”

anothernounUS /ˈanother/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading All the furniture too in the house was old, but with another grade of age—that of Mr. Farebrother’s father and grandfather.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading There were engraved portraits of Lord Chancellors and other celebrated lawyers of the last century; and there were old pier-glasses to reflect them, as well as the little satin-wood tables and the sofas resembling a prolongation of uneasy chairs, all standing in relief against the dark wainscot.

beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading “The clerkly person smiled and said Promise was a pretty maid, But being poor she died unwed.”

built

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The Rev. Camden Farebrother, whom Lydgate went to see the next evening, lived in an old parsonage, built of stone, venerable enough to match the church which it looked out upon.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading “The clerkly person smiled and said Promise was a pretty maid, But being poor she died unwed.”

Camden

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The Rev. Camden Farebrother, whom Lydgate went to see the next evening, lived in an old parsonage, built of stone, venerable enough to match the church which it looked out upon.

celebrated

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading There were engraved portraits of Lord Chancellors and other celebrated lawyers of the last century; and there were old pier-glasses to reflect them, as well as the little satin-wood tables and the sofas resembling a prolongation of uneasy chairs, all standing in relief against the dark wainscot.

century

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading There were engraved portraits of Lord Chancellors and other celebrated lawyers of the last century; and there were old pier-glasses to reflect them, as well as the little satin-wood tables and the sofas resembling a prolongation of uneasy chairs, all standing in relief against the dark wainscot.

chairs

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading There were painted white chairs, with gilding and wreaths on them, and some lingering red silk damask with slits in it.

Chancellors

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading There were engraved portraits of Lord Chancellors and other celebrated lawyers of the last century; and there were old pier-glasses to reflect them, as well as the little satin-wood tables and the sofas resembling a prolongation of uneasy chairs, all standing in relief against the dark wainscot.

church

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The Rev. Camden Farebrother, whom Lydgate went to see the next evening, lived in an old parsonage, built of stone, venerable enough to match the church which it looked out upon.

clerkly

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading “The clerkly person smiled and said Promise was a pretty maid, But being poor she died unwed.”

damask

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading There were painted white chairs, with gilding and wreaths on them, and some lingering red silk damask with slits in it.

dark

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading There were engraved portraits of Lord Chancellors and other celebrated lawyers of the last century; and there were old pier-glasses to reflect them, as well as the little satin-wood tables and the sofas resembling a prolongation of uneasy chairs, all standing in relief against the dark wainscot.

died

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading “The clerkly person smiled and said Promise was a pretty maid, But being poor she died unwed.”

engraved

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading There were engraved portraits of Lord Chancellors and other celebrated lawyers of the last century; and there were old pier-glasses to reflect them, as well as the little satin-wood tables and the sofas resembling a prolongation of uneasy chairs, all standing in relief against the dark wainscot.

enough

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The Rev. Camden Farebrother, whom Lydgate went to see the next evening, lived in an old parsonage, built of stone, venerable enough to match the church which it looked out upon.

evening

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The Rev. Camden Farebrother, whom Lydgate went to see the next evening, lived in an old parsonage, built of stone, venerable enough to match the church which it looked out upon.

Farebrother

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The Rev. Camden Farebrother, whom Lydgate went to see the next evening, lived in an old parsonage, built of stone, venerable enough to match the church which it looked out upon.

Farebrother's

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading All the furniture too in the house was old, but with another grade of age—that of Mr. Farebrother’s father and grandfather.

father

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading All the furniture too in the house was old, but with another grade of age—that of Mr. Farebrother’s father and grandfather.

furniture

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading All the furniture too in the house was old, but with another grade of age—that of Mr. Farebrother’s father and grandfather.

gilding

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading There were painted white chairs, with gilding and wreaths on them, and some lingering red silk damask with slits in it.

grade

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading All the furniture too in the house was old, but with another grade of age—that of Mr. Farebrother’s father and grandfather.

grandfather

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading All the furniture too in the house was old, but with another grade of age—that of Mr. Farebrother’s father and grandfather.

house

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading All the furniture too in the house was old, but with another grade of age—that of Mr. Farebrother’s father and grandfather.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading The Rev. Camden Farebrother, whom Lydgate went to see the next evening, lived in an old parsonage, built of stone, venerable enough to match the church which it looked out upon.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading The Rev. Camden Farebrother, whom Lydgate went to see the next evening, lived in an old parsonage, built of stone, venerable enough to match the church which it looked out upon.

lastnounUS /last/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading There were engraved portraits of Lord Chancellors and other celebrated lawyers of the last century; and there were old pier-glasses to reflect them, as well as the little satin-wood tables and the sofas resembling a prolongation of uneasy chairs, all standing in relief against the dark wainscot.

lawyers

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading There were engraved portraits of Lord Chancellors and other celebrated lawyers of the last century; and there were old pier-glasses to reflect them, as well as the little satin-wood tables and the sofas resembling a prolongation of uneasy chairs, all standing in relief against the dark wainscot.

lingering

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading There were painted white chairs, with gilding and wreaths on them, and some lingering red silk damask with slits in it.

littlenounUS /little/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading There were engraved portraits of Lord Chancellors and other celebrated lawyers of the last century; and there were old pier-glasses to reflect them, as well as the little satin-wood tables and the sofas resembling a prolongation of uneasy chairs, all standing in relief against the dark wainscot.

lived

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The Rev. Camden Farebrother, whom Lydgate went to see the next evening, lived in an old parsonage, built of stone, venerable enough to match the church which it looked out upon.

lookednounUS /looked/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The Rev. Camden Farebrother, whom Lydgate went to see the next evening, lived in an old parsonage, built of stone, venerable enough to match the church which it looked out upon.

Lord

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading There were engraved portraits of Lord Chancellors and other celebrated lawyers of the last century; and there were old pier-glasses to reflect them, as well as the little satin-wood tables and the sofas resembling a prolongation of uneasy chairs, all standing in relief against the dark wainscot.

Lydgate

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The Rev. Camden Farebrother, whom Lydgate went to see the next evening, lived in an old parsonage, built of stone, venerable enough to match the church which it looked out upon.

maid

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading “The clerkly person smiled and said Promise was a pretty maid, But being poor she died unwed.”

match

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The Rev. Camden Farebrother, whom Lydgate went to see the next evening, lived in an old parsonage, built of stone, venerable enough to match the church which it looked out upon.

Mr

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading All the furniture too in the house was old, but with another grade of age—that of Mr. Farebrother’s father and grandfather.

nextnounUS /next/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The Rev. Camden Farebrother, whom Lydgate went to see the next evening, lived in an old parsonage, built of stone, venerable enough to match the church which it looked out upon.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The Rev. Camden Farebrother, whom Lydgate went to see the next evening, lived in an old parsonage, built of stone, venerable enough to match the church which it looked out upon.

old

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The Rev. Camden Farebrother, whom Lydgate went to see the next evening, lived in an old parsonage, built of stone, venerable enough to match the church which it looked out upon.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading There were painted white chairs, with gilding and wreaths on them, and some lingering red silk damask with slits in it.

other

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading There were engraved portraits of Lord Chancellors and other celebrated lawyers of the last century; and there were old pier-glasses to reflect them, as well as the little satin-wood tables and the sofas resembling a prolongation of uneasy chairs, all standing in relief against the dark wainscot.

out

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The Rev. Camden Farebrother, whom Lydgate went to see the next evening, lived in an old parsonage, built of stone, venerable enough to match the church which it looked out upon.

painted

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading There were painted white chairs, with gilding and wreaths on them, and some lingering red silk damask with slits in it.

parsonage

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The Rev. Camden Farebrother, whom Lydgate went to see the next evening, lived in an old parsonage, built of stone, venerable enough to match the church which it looked out upon.

person

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading “The clerkly person smiled and said Promise was a pretty maid, But being poor she died unwed.”

pier-glasses

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading There were engraved portraits of Lord Chancellors and other celebrated lawyers of the last century; and there were old pier-glasses to reflect them, as well as the little satin-wood tables and the sofas resembling a prolongation of uneasy chairs, all standing in relief against the dark wainscot.

poornounUS /poor/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The clerkly person smiled and said Promise was a pretty maid, But being poor she died unwed.”

portraits

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading There were engraved portraits of Lord Chancellors and other celebrated lawyers of the last century; and there were old pier-glasses to reflect them, as well as the little satin-wood tables and the sofas resembling a prolongation of uneasy chairs, all standing in relief against the dark wainscot.

pretty

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading “The clerkly person smiled and said Promise was a pretty maid, But being poor she died unwed.”

prolongation

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading There were engraved portraits of Lord Chancellors and other celebrated lawyers of the last century; and there were old pier-glasses to reflect them, as well as the little satin-wood tables and the sofas resembling a prolongation of uneasy chairs, all standing in relief against the dark wainscot.

Promise

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading “The clerkly person smiled and said Promise was a pretty maid, But being poor she died unwed.”

red

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading There were painted white chairs, with gilding and wreaths on them, and some lingering red silk damask with slits in it.

reflect

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading There were engraved portraits of Lord Chancellors and other celebrated lawyers of the last century; and there were old pier-glasses to reflect them, as well as the little satin-wood tables and the sofas resembling a prolongation of uneasy chairs, all standing in relief against the dark wainscot.

reliefnounUS /rɪˈliːf/

a feeling of comfort after worry or pain

From this reading There were engraved portraits of Lord Chancellors and other celebrated lawyers of the last century; and there were old pier-glasses to reflect them, as well as the little satin-wood tables and the sofas resembling a prolongation of uneasy chairs, all standing in relief against the dark wainscot.

resembling

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading There were engraved portraits of Lord Chancellors and other celebrated lawyers of the last century; and there were old pier-glasses to reflect them, as well as the little satin-wood tables and the sofas resembling a prolongation of uneasy chairs, all standing in relief against the dark wainscot.

Rev

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The Rev. Camden Farebrother, whom Lydgate went to see the next evening, lived in an old parsonage, built of stone, venerable enough to match the church which it looked out upon.

said

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading “The clerkly person smiled and said Promise was a pretty maid, But being poor she died unwed.”

satin-wood

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading There were engraved portraits of Lord Chancellors and other celebrated lawyers of the last century; and there were old pier-glasses to reflect them, as well as the little satin-wood tables and the sofas resembling a prolongation of uneasy chairs, all standing in relief against the dark wainscot.

see

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The Rev. Camden Farebrother, whom Lydgate went to see the next evening, lived in an old parsonage, built of stone, venerable enough to match the church which it looked out upon.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading “The clerkly person smiled and said Promise was a pretty maid, But being poor she died unwed.”

silk

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading There were painted white chairs, with gilding and wreaths on them, and some lingering red silk damask with slits in it.

slits

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading There were painted white chairs, with gilding and wreaths on them, and some lingering red silk damask with slits in it.

smiled

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading “The clerkly person smiled and said Promise was a pretty maid, But being poor she died unwed.”

sofas

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading There were engraved portraits of Lord Chancellors and other celebrated lawyers of the last century; and there were old pier-glasses to reflect them, as well as the little satin-wood tables and the sofas resembling a prolongation of uneasy chairs, all standing in relief against the dark wainscot.

some

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading There were painted white chairs, with gilding and wreaths on them, and some lingering red silk damask with slits in it.

standingnounUS /ˈstanding/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading There were engraved portraits of Lord Chancellors and other celebrated lawyers of the last century; and there were old pier-glasses to reflect them, as well as the little satin-wood tables and the sofas resembling a prolongation of uneasy chairs, all standing in relief against the dark wainscot.

stone

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The Rev. Camden Farebrother, whom Lydgate went to see the next evening, lived in an old parsonage, built of stone, venerable enough to match the church which it looked out upon.

tables

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading There were engraved portraits of Lord Chancellors and other celebrated lawyers of the last century; and there were old pier-glasses to reflect them, as well as the little satin-wood tables and the sofas resembling a prolongation of uneasy chairs, all standing in relief against the dark wainscot.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading All the furniture too in the house was old, but with another grade of age—that of Mr. Farebrother’s father and grandfather.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading “The clerkly person smiled and said Promise was a pretty maid, But being poor she died unwed.”

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading There were painted white chairs, with gilding and wreaths on them, and some lingering red silk damask with slits in it.

There

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading There were painted white chairs, with gilding and wreaths on them, and some lingering red silk damask with slits in it.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading The Rev. Camden Farebrother, whom Lydgate went to see the next evening, lived in an old parsonage, built of stone, venerable enough to match the church which it looked out upon.

too

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading All the furniture too in the house was old, but with another grade of age—that of Mr. Farebrother’s father and grandfather.

uneasy

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading There were engraved portraits of Lord Chancellors and other celebrated lawyers of the last century; and there were old pier-glasses to reflect them, as well as the little satin-wood tables and the sofas resembling a prolongation of uneasy chairs, all standing in relief against the dark wainscot.

unwed

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading “The clerkly person smiled and said Promise was a pretty maid, But being poor she died unwed.”

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading The Rev. Camden Farebrother, whom Lydgate went to see the next evening, lived in an old parsonage, built of stone, venerable enough to match the church which it looked out upon.

venerable

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The Rev. Camden Farebrother, whom Lydgate went to see the next evening, lived in an old parsonage, built of stone, venerable enough to match the church which it looked out upon.

wainscot

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading There were engraved portraits of Lord Chancellors and other celebrated lawyers of the last century; and there were old pier-glasses to reflect them, as well as the little satin-wood tables and the sofas resembling a prolongation of uneasy chairs, all standing in relief against the dark wainscot.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading “The clerkly person smiled and said Promise was a pretty maid, But being poor she died unwed.”

well

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading There were engraved portraits of Lord Chancellors and other celebrated lawyers of the last century; and there were old pier-glasses to reflect them, as well as the little satin-wood tables and the sofas resembling a prolongation of uneasy chairs, all standing in relief against the dark wainscot.

wentnounUS /went/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The Rev. Camden Farebrother, whom Lydgate went to see the next evening, lived in an old parsonage, built of stone, venerable enough to match the church which it looked out upon.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading There were painted white chairs, with gilding and wreaths on them, and some lingering red silk damask with slits in it.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading The Rev. Camden Farebrother, whom Lydgate went to see the next evening, lived in an old parsonage, built of stone, venerable enough to match the church which it looked out upon.

white

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading There were painted white chairs, with gilding and wreaths on them, and some lingering red silk damask with slits in it.

whompronounUS /huːm/

the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading The Rev. Camden Farebrother, whom Lydgate went to see the next evening, lived in an old parsonage, built of stone, venerable enough to match the church which it looked out upon.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading All the furniture too in the house was old, but with another grade of age—that of Mr. Farebrother’s father and grandfather.

wreaths

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading There were painted white chairs, with gilding and wreaths on them, and some lingering red silk damask with slits in it.