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 calm curtain of ordinary decorums and ordinary friendliness had risen for a moment from Mrs. Merridew’s unexcited existence, revealing a woman distracted by a primitive sense of justice, rending her own soul, as it were, in sunder, and doing, in spite of herself and all her best instincts, what she felt was right.
act
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Yet, for one day, I had seen her resist and ignore the claims of her children, and act like an independent being.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading We did not meet again for some days after this, and next time I saw her, which was on Sunday at church with her children, it seemed impossible to me to believe in the reality of the strange scene we had so recently passed through together.
againnounUS /again/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading We did not meet again for some days after this, and next time I saw her, which was on Sunday at church with her children, it seemed impossible to me to believe in the reality of the strange scene we had so recently passed through together.
all
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The calm curtain of ordinary decorums and ordinary friendliness had risen for a moment from Mrs. Merridew’s unexcited existence, revealing a woman distracted by a primitive sense of justice, rending her own soul, as it were, in sunder, and doing, in spite of herself and all her best instincts, what she felt was right.
alreadynounUS /already/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading When I saw her again she was once more the mother and nothing more, casting her eyes over her little flock, cognizant, one could see, of the perfection or imperfection of every fold and line in their dresses, keeping her attention upon each, from little Matty, who was restless and could not be kept quiet, up to Janet, who sat demure, and already caught the eye of visitors as one of the prettiest girls of Dinglefield.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Yet, for one day, I had seen her resist and ignore the claims of her children, and act like an independent being.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading We did not meet again for some days after this, and next time I saw her, which was on Sunday at church with her children, it seemed impossible to me to believe in the reality of the strange scene we had so recently passed through together.
any
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That she should have any existence separate from her children had never occurred to anybody before.
anybodypronounUS /ˈenibədi/
any person at all
From this reading That she should have any existence separate from her children had never occurred to anybody before.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The calm curtain of ordinary decorums and ordinary friendliness had risen for a moment from Mrs. Merridew’s unexcited existence, revealing a woman distracted by a primitive sense of justice, rending her own soul, as it were, in sunder, and doing, in spite of herself and all her best instincts, what she felt was right.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading We did not meet again for some days after this, and next time I saw her, which was on Sunday at church with her children, it seemed impossible to me to believe in the reality of the strange scene we had so recently passed through together.
attention
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When I saw her again she was once more the mother and nothing more, casting her eyes over her little flock, cognizant, one could see, of the perfection or imperfection of every fold and line in their dresses, keeping her attention upon each, from little Matty, who was restless and could not be kept quiet, up to Janet, who sat demure, and already caught the eye of visitors as one of the prettiest girls of Dinglefield.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading When I saw her again she was once more the mother and nothing more, casting her eyes over her little flock, cognizant, one could see, of the perfection or imperfection of every fold and line in their dresses, keeping her attention upon each, from little Matty, who was restless and could not be kept quiet, up to Janet, who sat demure, and already caught the eye of visitors as one of the prettiest girls of Dinglefield.
beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/
earlier than; in front of
From this reading That she should have any existence separate from her children had never occurred to anybody before.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading Yet, for one day, I had seen her resist and ignore the claims of her children, and act like an independent being.
believenounUS /ˈbelieve/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading We did not meet again for some days after this, and next time I saw her, which was on Sunday at church with her children, it seemed impossible to me to believe in the reality of the strange scene we had so recently passed through together.
best
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The calm curtain of ordinary decorums and ordinary friendliness had risen for a moment from Mrs. Merridew’s unexcited existence, revealing a woman distracted by a primitive sense of justice, rending her own soul, as it were, in sunder, and doing, in spite of herself and all her best instincts, what she felt was right.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The calm curtain of ordinary decorums and ordinary friendliness had risen for a moment from Mrs. Merridew’s unexcited existence, revealing a woman distracted by a primitive sense of justice, rending her own soul, as it were, in sunder, and doing, in spite of herself and all her best instincts, what she felt was right.
calm
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The calm curtain of ordinary decorums and ordinary friendliness had risen for a moment from Mrs. Merridew’s unexcited existence, revealing a woman distracted by a primitive sense of justice, rending her own soul, as it were, in sunder, and doing, in spite of herself and all her best instincts, what she felt was right.
casting
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When I saw her again she was once more the mother and nothing more, casting her eyes over her little flock, cognizant, one could see, of the perfection or imperfection of every fold and line in their dresses, keeping her attention upon each, from little Matty, who was restless and could not be kept quiet, up to Janet, who sat demure, and already caught the eye of visitors as one of the prettiest girls of Dinglefield.
caught
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When I saw her again she was once more the mother and nothing more, casting her eyes over her little flock, cognizant, one could see, of the perfection or imperfection of every fold and line in their dresses, keeping her attention upon each, from little Matty, who was restless and could not be kept quiet, up to Janet, who sat demure, and already caught the eye of visitors as one of the prettiest girls of Dinglefield.
children
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We did not meet again for some days after this, and next time I saw her, which was on Sunday at church with her children, it seemed impossible to me to believe in the reality of the strange scene we had so recently passed through together.
church
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We did not meet again for some days after this, and next time I saw her, which was on Sunday at church with her children, it seemed impossible to me to believe in the reality of the strange scene we had so recently passed through together.
claims
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Yet, for one day, I had seen her resist and ignore the claims of her children, and act like an independent being.
cognizant
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When I saw her again she was once more the mother and nothing more, casting her eyes over her little flock, cognizant, one could see, of the perfection or imperfection of every fold and line in their dresses, keeping her attention upon each, from little Matty, who was restless and could not be kept quiet, up to Janet, who sat demure, and already caught the eye of visitors as one of the prettiest girls of Dinglefield.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading When I saw her again she was once more the mother and nothing more, casting her eyes over her little flock, cognizant, one could see, of the perfection or imperfection of every fold and line in their dresses, keeping her attention upon each, from little Matty, who was restless and could not be kept quiet, up to Janet, who sat demure, and already caught the eye of visitors as one of the prettiest girls of Dinglefield.
curtain
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The calm curtain of ordinary decorums and ordinary friendliness had risen for a moment from Mrs. Merridew’s unexcited existence, revealing a woman distracted by a primitive sense of justice, rending her own soul, as it were, in sunder, and doing, in spite of herself and all her best instincts, what she felt was right.
day
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Yet, for one day, I had seen her resist and ignore the claims of her children, and act like an independent being.
days
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We did not meet again for some days after this, and next time I saw her, which was on Sunday at church with her children, it seemed impossible to me to believe in the reality of the strange scene we had so recently passed through together.
decorums
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The calm curtain of ordinary decorums and ordinary friendliness had risen for a moment from Mrs. Merridew’s unexcited existence, revealing a woman distracted by a primitive sense of justice, rending her own soul, as it were, in sunder, and doing, in spite of herself and all her best instincts, what she felt was right.
demure
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When I saw her again she was once more the mother and nothing more, casting her eyes over her little flock, cognizant, one could see, of the perfection or imperfection of every fold and line in their dresses, keeping her attention upon each, from little Matty, who was restless and could not be kept quiet, up to Janet, who sat demure, and already caught the eye of visitors as one of the prettiest girls of Dinglefield.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading We did not meet again for some days after this, and next time I saw her, which was on Sunday at church with her children, it seemed impossible to me to believe in the reality of the strange scene we had so recently passed through together.
Dinglefield
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When I saw her again she was once more the mother and nothing more, casting her eyes over her little flock, cognizant, one could see, of the perfection or imperfection of every fold and line in their dresses, keeping her attention upon each, from little Matty, who was restless and could not be kept quiet, up to Janet, who sat demure, and already caught the eye of visitors as one of the prettiest girls of Dinglefield.
distracted
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The calm curtain of ordinary decorums and ordinary friendliness had risen for a moment from Mrs. Merridew’s unexcited existence, revealing a woman distracted by a primitive sense of justice, rending her own soul, as it were, in sunder, and doing, in spite of herself and all her best instincts, what she felt was right.
doing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The calm curtain of ordinary decorums and ordinary friendliness had risen for a moment from Mrs. Merridew’s unexcited existence, revealing a woman distracted by a primitive sense of justice, rending her own soul, as it were, in sunder, and doing, in spite of herself and all her best instincts, what she felt was right.
dresses
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When I saw her again she was once more the mother and nothing more, casting her eyes over her little flock, cognizant, one could see, of the perfection or imperfection of every fold and line in their dresses, keeping her attention upon each, from little Matty, who was restless and could not be kept quiet, up to Janet, who sat demure, and already caught the eye of visitors as one of the prettiest girls of Dinglefield.
eachdeterminerUS /iːtʃ/
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading When I saw her again she was once more the mother and nothing more, casting her eyes over her little flock, cognizant, one could see, of the perfection or imperfection of every fold and line in their dresses, keeping her attention upon each, from little Matty, who was restless and could not be kept quiet, up to Janet, who sat demure, and already caught the eye of visitors as one of the prettiest girls of Dinglefield.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading When I saw her again she was once more the mother and nothing more, casting her eyes over her little flock, cognizant, one could see, of the perfection or imperfection of every fold and line in their dresses, keeping her attention upon each, from little Matty, who was restless and could not be kept quiet, up to Janet, who sat demure, and already caught the eye of visitors as one of the prettiest girls of Dinglefield.
existence
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The calm curtain of ordinary decorums and ordinary friendliness had risen for a moment from Mrs. Merridew’s unexcited existence, revealing a woman distracted by a primitive sense of justice, rending her own soul, as it were, in sunder, and doing, in spite of herself and all her best instincts, what she felt was right.
eye
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When I saw her again she was once more the mother and nothing more, casting her eyes over her little flock, cognizant, one could see, of the perfection or imperfection of every fold and line in their dresses, keeping her attention upon each, from little Matty, who was restless and could not be kept quiet, up to Janet, who sat demure, and already caught the eye of visitors as one of the prettiest girls of Dinglefield.
eyes
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When I saw her again she was once more the mother and nothing more, casting her eyes over her little flock, cognizant, one could see, of the perfection or imperfection of every fold and line in their dresses, keeping her attention upon each, from little Matty, who was restless and could not be kept quiet, up to Janet, who sat demure, and already caught the eye of visitors as one of the prettiest girls of Dinglefield.
felt
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The calm curtain of ordinary decorums and ordinary friendliness had risen for a moment from Mrs. Merridew’s unexcited existence, revealing a woman distracted by a primitive sense of justice, rending her own soul, as it were, in sunder, and doing, in spite of herself and all her best instincts, what she felt was right.
flock
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When I saw her again she was once more the mother and nothing more, casting her eyes over her little flock, cognizant, one could see, of the perfection or imperfection of every fold and line in their dresses, keeping her attention upon each, from little Matty, who was restless and could not be kept quiet, up to Janet, who sat demure, and already caught the eye of visitors as one of the prettiest girls of Dinglefield.
fold
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When I saw her again she was once more the mother and nothing more, casting her eyes over her little flock, cognizant, one could see, of the perfection or imperfection of every fold and line in their dresses, keeping her attention upon each, from little Matty, who was restless and could not be kept quiet, up to Janet, who sat demure, and already caught the eye of visitors as one of the prettiest girls of Dinglefield.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading We did not meet again for some days after this, and next time I saw her, which was on Sunday at church with her children, it seemed impossible to me to believe in the reality of the strange scene we had so recently passed through together.
friendliness
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The calm curtain of ordinary decorums and ordinary friendliness had risen for a moment from Mrs. Merridew’s unexcited existence, revealing a woman distracted by a primitive sense of justice, rending her own soul, as it were, in sunder, and doing, in spite of herself and all her best instincts, what she felt was right.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The calm curtain of ordinary decorums and ordinary friendliness had risen for a moment from Mrs. Merridew’s unexcited existence, revealing a woman distracted by a primitive sense of justice, rending her own soul, as it were, in sunder, and doing, in spite of herself and all her best instincts, what she felt was right.
girls
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When I saw her again she was once more the mother and nothing more, casting her eyes over her little flock, cognizant, one could see, of the perfection or imperfection of every fold and line in their dresses, keeping her attention upon each, from little Matty, who was restless and could not be kept quiet, up to Janet, who sat demure, and already caught the eye of visitors as one of the prettiest girls of Dinglefield.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading We did not meet again for some days after this, and next time I saw her, which was on Sunday at church with her children, it seemed impossible to me to believe in the reality of the strange scene we had so recently passed through together.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading That she should have any existence separate from her children had never occurred to anybody before.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading We did not meet again for some days after this, and next time I saw her, which was on Sunday at church with her children, it seemed impossible to me to believe in the reality of the strange scene we had so recently passed through together.
herselfpronounUS /hərˈself/
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading The calm curtain of ordinary decorums and ordinary friendliness had risen for a moment from Mrs. Merridew’s unexcited existence, revealing a woman distracted by a primitive sense of justice, rending her own soul, as it were, in sunder, and doing, in spite of herself and all her best instincts, what she felt was right.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading We did not meet again for some days after this, and next time I saw her, which was on Sunday at church with her children, it seemed impossible to me to believe in the reality of the strange scene we had so recently passed through together.
ignore
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Yet, for one day, I had seen her resist and ignore the claims of her children, and act like an independent being.
imperfection
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When I saw her again she was once more the mother and nothing more, casting her eyes over her little flock, cognizant, one could see, of the perfection or imperfection of every fold and line in their dresses, keeping her attention upon each, from little Matty, who was restless and could not be kept quiet, up to Janet, who sat demure, and already caught the eye of visitors as one of the prettiest girls of Dinglefield.
impossible
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We did not meet again for some days after this, and next time I saw her, which was on Sunday at church with her children, it seemed impossible to me to believe in the reality of the strange scene we had so recently passed through together.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading We did not meet again for some days after this, and next time I saw her, which was on Sunday at church with her children, it seemed impossible to me to believe in the reality of the strange scene we had so recently passed through together.
independent
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Yet, for one day, I had seen her resist and ignore the claims of her children, and act like an independent being.
instincts
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The calm curtain of ordinary decorums and ordinary friendliness had risen for a moment from Mrs. Merridew’s unexcited existence, revealing a woman distracted by a primitive sense of justice, rending her own soul, as it were, in sunder, and doing, in spite of herself and all her best instincts, what she felt was right.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading We did not meet again for some days after this, and next time I saw her, which was on Sunday at church with her children, it seemed impossible to me to believe in the reality of the strange scene we had so recently passed through together.
Janet
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When I saw her again she was once more the mother and nothing more, casting her eyes over her little flock, cognizant, one could see, of the perfection or imperfection of every fold and line in their dresses, keeping her attention upon each, from little Matty, who was restless and could not be kept quiet, up to Janet, who sat demure, and already caught the eye of visitors as one of the prettiest girls of Dinglefield.
justice
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The calm curtain of ordinary decorums and ordinary friendliness had risen for a moment from Mrs. Merridew’s unexcited existence, revealing a woman distracted by a primitive sense of justice, rending her own soul, as it were, in sunder, and doing, in spite of herself and all her best instincts, what she felt was right.
keeping
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When I saw her again she was once more the mother and nothing more, casting her eyes over her little flock, cognizant, one could see, of the perfection or imperfection of every fold and line in their dresses, keeping her attention upon each, from little Matty, who was restless and could not be kept quiet, up to Janet, who sat demure, and already caught the eye of visitors as one of the prettiest girls of Dinglefield.
kept
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When I saw her again she was once more the mother and nothing more, casting her eyes over her little flock, cognizant, one could see, of the perfection or imperfection of every fold and line in their dresses, keeping her attention upon each, from little Matty, who was restless and could not be kept quiet, up to Janet, who sat demure, and already caught the eye of visitors as one of the prettiest girls of Dinglefield.
like
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Yet, for one day, I had seen her resist and ignore the claims of her children, and act like an independent being.
line
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When I saw her again she was once more the mother and nothing more, casting her eyes over her little flock, cognizant, one could see, of the perfection or imperfection of every fold and line in their dresses, keeping her attention upon each, from little Matty, who was restless and could not be kept quiet, up to Janet, who sat demure, and already caught the eye of visitors as one of the prettiest girls of Dinglefield.
littlenounUS /little/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading When I saw her again she was once more the mother and nothing more, casting her eyes over her little flock, cognizant, one could see, of the perfection or imperfection of every fold and line in their dresses, keeping her attention upon each, from little Matty, who was restless and could not be kept quiet, up to Janet, who sat demure, and already caught the eye of visitors as one of the prettiest girls of Dinglefield.
Matty
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When I saw her again she was once more the mother and nothing more, casting her eyes over her little flock, cognizant, one could see, of the perfection or imperfection of every fold and line in their dresses, keeping her attention upon each, from little Matty, who was restless and could not be kept quiet, up to Janet, who sat demure, and already caught the eye of visitors as one of the prettiest girls of Dinglefield.
mepronounUS /miː/
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading We did not meet again for some days after this, and next time I saw her, which was on Sunday at church with her children, it seemed impossible to me to believe in the reality of the strange scene we had so recently passed through together.
meet
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We did not meet again for some days after this, and next time I saw her, which was on Sunday at church with her children, it seemed impossible to me to believe in the reality of the strange scene we had so recently passed through together.
Merridew's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The calm curtain of ordinary decorums and ordinary friendliness had risen for a moment from Mrs. Merridew’s unexcited existence, revealing a woman distracted by a primitive sense of justice, rending her own soul, as it were, in sunder, and doing, in spite of herself and all her best instincts, what she felt was right.
moment
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The calm curtain of ordinary decorums and ordinary friendliness had risen for a moment from Mrs. Merridew’s unexcited existence, revealing a woman distracted by a primitive sense of justice, rending her own soul, as it were, in sunder, and doing, in spite of herself and all her best instincts, what she felt was right.
more
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When I saw her again she was once more the mother and nothing more, casting her eyes over her little flock, cognizant, one could see, of the perfection or imperfection of every fold and line in their dresses, keeping her attention upon each, from little Matty, who was restless and could not be kept quiet, up to Janet, who sat demure, and already caught the eye of visitors as one of the prettiest girls of Dinglefield.
mother
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When I saw her again she was once more the mother and nothing more, casting her eyes over her little flock, cognizant, one could see, of the perfection or imperfection of every fold and line in their dresses, keeping her attention upon each, from little Matty, who was restless and could not be kept quiet, up to Janet, who sat demure, and already caught the eye of visitors as one of the prettiest girls of Dinglefield.
Mrs
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The calm curtain of ordinary decorums and ordinary friendliness had risen for a moment from Mrs. Merridew’s unexcited existence, revealing a woman distracted by a primitive sense of justice, rending her own soul, as it were, in sunder, and doing, in spite of herself and all her best instincts, what she felt was right.
nevernounUS /never/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading That she should have any existence separate from her children had never occurred to anybody before.
nextnounUS /next/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading We did not meet again for some days after this, and next time I saw her, which was on Sunday at church with her children, it seemed impossible to me to believe in the reality of the strange scene we had so recently passed through together.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading We did not meet again for some days after this, and next time I saw her, which was on Sunday at church with her children, it seemed impossible to me to believe in the reality of the strange scene we had so recently passed through together.
nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/
not one thing; not anything
From this reading When I saw her again she was once more the mother and nothing more, casting her eyes over her little flock, cognizant, one could see, of the perfection or imperfection of every fold and line in their dresses, keeping her attention upon each, from little Matty, who was restless and could not be kept quiet, up to Janet, who sat demure, and already caught the eye of visitors as one of the prettiest girls of Dinglefield.
occurred
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That she should have any existence separate from her children had never occurred to anybody before.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading We did not meet again for some days after this, and next time I saw her, which was on Sunday at church with her children, it seemed impossible to me to believe in the reality of the strange scene we had so recently passed through together.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading We did not meet again for some days after this, and next time I saw her, which was on Sunday at church with her children, it seemed impossible to me to believe in the reality of the strange scene we had so recently passed through together.
once
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When I saw her again she was once more the mother and nothing more, casting her eyes over her little flock, cognizant, one could see, of the perfection or imperfection of every fold and line in their dresses, keeping her attention upon each, from little Matty, who was restless and could not be kept quiet, up to Janet, who sat demure, and already caught the eye of visitors as one of the prettiest girls of Dinglefield.
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Yet, for one day, I had seen her resist and ignore the claims of her children, and act like an independent being.
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading When I saw her again she was once more the mother and nothing more, casting her eyes over her little flock, cognizant, one could see, of the perfection or imperfection of every fold and line in their dresses, keeping her attention upon each, from little Matty, who was restless and could not be kept quiet, up to Janet, who sat demure, and already caught the eye of visitors as one of the prettiest girls of Dinglefield.
ordinary
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The calm curtain of ordinary decorums and ordinary friendliness had risen for a moment from Mrs. Merridew’s unexcited existence, revealing a woman distracted by a primitive sense of justice, rending her own soul, as it were, in sunder, and doing, in spite of herself and all her best instincts, what she felt was right.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading When I saw her again she was once more the mother and nothing more, casting her eyes over her little flock, cognizant, one could see, of the perfection or imperfection of every fold and line in their dresses, keeping her attention upon each, from little Matty, who was restless and could not be kept quiet, up to Janet, who sat demure, and already caught the eye of visitors as one of the prettiest girls of Dinglefield.
own
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The calm curtain of ordinary decorums and ordinary friendliness had risen for a moment from Mrs. Merridew’s unexcited existence, revealing a woman distracted by a primitive sense of justice, rending her own soul, as it were, in sunder, and doing, in spite of herself and all her best instincts, what she felt was right.
passednounUS /passed/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading We did not meet again for some days after this, and next time I saw her, which was on Sunday at church with her children, it seemed impossible to me to believe in the reality of the strange scene we had so recently passed through together.
perfection
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When I saw her again she was once more the mother and nothing more, casting her eyes over her little flock, cognizant, one could see, of the perfection or imperfection of every fold and line in their dresses, keeping her attention upon each, from little Matty, who was restless and could not be kept quiet, up to Janet, who sat demure, and already caught the eye of visitors as one of the prettiest girls of Dinglefield.
prettiest
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When I saw her again she was once more the mother and nothing more, casting her eyes over her little flock, cognizant, one could see, of the perfection or imperfection of every fold and line in their dresses, keeping her attention upon each, from little Matty, who was restless and could not be kept quiet, up to Janet, who sat demure, and already caught the eye of visitors as one of the prettiest girls of Dinglefield.
primitive
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The calm curtain of ordinary decorums and ordinary friendliness had risen for a moment from Mrs. Merridew’s unexcited existence, revealing a woman distracted by a primitive sense of justice, rending her own soul, as it were, in sunder, and doing, in spite of herself and all her best instincts, what she felt was right.
quiet
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When I saw her again she was once more the mother and nothing more, casting her eyes over her little flock, cognizant, one could see, of the perfection or imperfection of every fold and line in their dresses, keeping her attention upon each, from little Matty, who was restless and could not be kept quiet, up to Janet, who sat demure, and already caught the eye of visitors as one of the prettiest girls of Dinglefield.
reality
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We did not meet again for some days after this, and next time I saw her, which was on Sunday at church with her children, it seemed impossible to me to believe in the reality of the strange scene we had so recently passed through together.
recently
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We did not meet again for some days after this, and next time I saw her, which was on Sunday at church with her children, it seemed impossible to me to believe in the reality of the strange scene we had so recently passed through together.
rending
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The calm curtain of ordinary decorums and ordinary friendliness had risen for a moment from Mrs. Merridew’s unexcited existence, revealing a woman distracted by a primitive sense of justice, rending her own soul, as it were, in sunder, and doing, in spite of herself and all her best instincts, what she felt was right.
resist
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Yet, for one day, I had seen her resist and ignore the claims of her children, and act like an independent being.
restless
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When I saw her again she was once more the mother and nothing more, casting her eyes over her little flock, cognizant, one could see, of the perfection or imperfection of every fold and line in their dresses, keeping her attention upon each, from little Matty, who was restless and could not be kept quiet, up to Janet, who sat demure, and already caught the eye of visitors as one of the prettiest girls of Dinglefield.
revealing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The calm curtain of ordinary decorums and ordinary friendliness had risen for a moment from Mrs. Merridew’s unexcited existence, revealing a woman distracted by a primitive sense of justice, rending her own soul, as it were, in sunder, and doing, in spite of herself and all her best instincts, what she felt was right.
rightnounUS /right/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The calm curtain of ordinary decorums and ordinary friendliness had risen for a moment from Mrs. Merridew’s unexcited existence, revealing a woman distracted by a primitive sense of justice, rending her own soul, as it were, in sunder, and doing, in spite of herself and all her best instincts, what she felt was right.
risen
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The calm curtain of ordinary decorums and ordinary friendliness had risen for a moment from Mrs. Merridew’s unexcited existence, revealing a woman distracted by a primitive sense of justice, rending her own soul, as it were, in sunder, and doing, in spite of herself and all her best instincts, what she felt was right.
sat
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When I saw her again she was once more the mother and nothing more, casting her eyes over her little flock, cognizant, one could see, of the perfection or imperfection of every fold and line in their dresses, keeping her attention upon each, from little Matty, who was restless and could not be kept quiet, up to Janet, who sat demure, and already caught the eye of visitors as one of the prettiest girls of Dinglefield.
saw
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We did not meet again for some days after this, and next time I saw her, which was on Sunday at church with her children, it seemed impossible to me to believe in the reality of the strange scene we had so recently passed through together.
scene
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We did not meet again for some days after this, and next time I saw her, which was on Sunday at church with her children, it seemed impossible to me to believe in the reality of the strange scene we had so recently passed through together.
see
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When I saw her again she was once more the mother and nothing more, casting her eyes over her little flock, cognizant, one could see, of the perfection or imperfection of every fold and line in their dresses, keeping her attention upon each, from little Matty, who was restless and could not be kept quiet, up to Janet, who sat demure, and already caught the eye of visitors as one of the prettiest girls of Dinglefield.
seemednounUS /seemed/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading We did not meet again for some days after this, and next time I saw her, which was on Sunday at church with her children, it seemed impossible to me to believe in the reality of the strange scene we had so recently passed through together.
seen
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Yet, for one day, I had seen her resist and ignore the claims of her children, and act like an independent being.
sense
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The calm curtain of ordinary decorums and ordinary friendliness had risen for a moment from Mrs. Merridew’s unexcited existence, revealing a woman distracted by a primitive sense of justice, rending her own soul, as it were, in sunder, and doing, in spite of herself and all her best instincts, what she felt was right.
separate
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That she should have any existence separate from her children had never occurred to anybody before.
shepronounUS /ʃiː/
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The calm curtain of ordinary decorums and ordinary friendliness had risen for a moment from Mrs. Merridew’s unexcited existence, revealing a woman distracted by a primitive sense of justice, rending her own soul, as it were, in sunder, and doing, in spite of herself and all her best instincts, what she felt was right.
shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading That she should have any existence separate from her children had never occurred to anybody before.
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading We did not meet again for some days after this, and next time I saw her, which was on Sunday at church with her children, it seemed impossible to me to believe in the reality of the strange scene we had so recently passed through together.
some
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We did not meet again for some days after this, and next time I saw her, which was on Sunday at church with her children, it seemed impossible to me to believe in the reality of the strange scene we had so recently passed through together.
soul
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The calm curtain of ordinary decorums and ordinary friendliness had risen for a moment from Mrs. Merridew’s unexcited existence, revealing a woman distracted by a primitive sense of justice, rending her own soul, as it were, in sunder, and doing, in spite of herself and all her best instincts, what she felt was right.
spite
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The calm curtain of ordinary decorums and ordinary friendliness had risen for a moment from Mrs. Merridew’s unexcited existence, revealing a woman distracted by a primitive sense of justice, rending her own soul, as it were, in sunder, and doing, in spite of herself and all her best instincts, what she felt was right.
strange
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We did not meet again for some days after this, and next time I saw her, which was on Sunday at church with her children, it seemed impossible to me to believe in the reality of the strange scene we had so recently passed through together.
Sunday
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We did not meet again for some days after this, and next time I saw her, which was on Sunday at church with her children, it seemed impossible to me to believe in the reality of the strange scene we had so recently passed through together.
sunder
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The calm curtain of ordinary decorums and ordinary friendliness had risen for a moment from Mrs. Merridew’s unexcited existence, revealing a woman distracted by a primitive sense of justice, rending her own soul, as it were, in sunder, and doing, in spite of herself and all her best instincts, what she felt was right.
ThatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading That she should have any existence separate from her children had never occurred to anybody before.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading We did not meet again for some days after this, and next time I saw her, which was on Sunday at church with her children, it seemed impossible to me to believe in the reality of the strange scene we had so recently passed through together.
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading When I saw her again she was once more the mother and nothing more, casting her eyes over her little flock, cognizant, one could see, of the perfection or imperfection of every fold and line in their dresses, keeping her attention upon each, from little Matty, who was restless and could not be kept quiet, up to Janet, who sat demure, and already caught the eye of visitors as one of the prettiest girls of Dinglefield.
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading We did not meet again for some days after this, and next time I saw her, which was on Sunday at church with her children, it seemed impossible to me to believe in the reality of the strange scene we had so recently passed through together.
throughnounUS /ˈthrough/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading We did not meet again for some days after this, and next time I saw her, which was on Sunday at church with her children, it seemed impossible to me to believe in the reality of the strange scene we had so recently passed through together.
timenounUS /time/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading We did not meet again for some days after this, and next time I saw her, which was on Sunday at church with her children, it seemed impossible to me to believe in the reality of the strange scene we had so recently passed through together.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading We did not meet again for some days after this, and next time I saw her, which was on Sunday at church with her children, it seemed impossible to me to believe in the reality of the strange scene we had so recently passed through together.
together
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We did not meet again for some days after this, and next time I saw her, which was on Sunday at church with her children, it seemed impossible to me to believe in the reality of the strange scene we had so recently passed through together.
unexcited
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The calm curtain of ordinary decorums and ordinary friendliness had risen for a moment from Mrs. Merridew’s unexcited existence, revealing a woman distracted by a primitive sense of justice, rending her own soul, as it were, in sunder, and doing, in spite of herself and all her best instincts, what she felt was right.
up
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When I saw her again she was once more the mother and nothing more, casting her eyes over her little flock, cognizant, one could see, of the perfection or imperfection of every fold and line in their dresses, keeping her attention upon each, from little Matty, who was restless and could not be kept quiet, up to Janet, who sat demure, and already caught the eye of visitors as one of the prettiest girls of Dinglefield.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading When I saw her again she was once more the mother and nothing more, casting her eyes over her little flock, cognizant, one could see, of the perfection or imperfection of every fold and line in their dresses, keeping her attention upon each, from little Matty, who was restless and could not be kept quiet, up to Janet, who sat demure, and already caught the eye of visitors as one of the prettiest girls of Dinglefield.
visitors
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When I saw her again she was once more the mother and nothing more, casting her eyes over her little flock, cognizant, one could see, of the perfection or imperfection of every fold and line in their dresses, keeping her attention upon each, from little Matty, who was restless and could not be kept quiet, up to Janet, who sat demure, and already caught the eye of visitors as one of the prettiest girls of Dinglefield.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading We did not meet again for some days after this, and next time I saw her, which was on Sunday at church with her children, it seemed impossible to me to believe in the reality of the strange scene we had so recently passed through together.
WepronounUS /wiː/
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading We did not meet again for some days after this, and next time I saw her, which was on Sunday at church with her children, it seemed impossible to me to believe in the reality of the strange scene we had so recently passed through together.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The calm curtain of ordinary decorums and ordinary friendliness had risen for a moment from Mrs. Merridew’s unexcited existence, revealing a woman distracted by a primitive sense of justice, rending her own soul, as it were, in sunder, and doing, in spite of herself and all her best instincts, what she felt was right.
whatpronounUS /wʌt/
used to ask for information about something
From this reading The calm curtain of ordinary decorums and ordinary friendliness had risen for a moment from Mrs. Merridew’s unexcited existence, revealing a woman distracted by a primitive sense of justice, rending her own soul, as it were, in sunder, and doing, in spite of herself and all her best instincts, what she felt was right.
WhenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading When I saw her again she was once more the mother and nothing more, casting her eyes over her little flock, cognizant, one could see, of the perfection or imperfection of every fold and line in their dresses, keeping her attention upon each, from little Matty, who was restless and could not be kept quiet, up to Janet, who sat demure, and already caught the eye of visitors as one of the prettiest girls of Dinglefield.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading We did not meet again for some days after this, and next time I saw her, which was on Sunday at church with her children, it seemed impossible to me to believe in the reality of the strange scene we had so recently passed through together.
whopronounUS /huː/
which person or people
From this reading When I saw her again she was once more the mother and nothing more, casting her eyes over her little flock, cognizant, one could see, of the perfection or imperfection of every fold and line in their dresses, keeping her attention upon each, from little Matty, who was restless and could not be kept quiet, up to Janet, who sat demure, and already caught the eye of visitors as one of the prettiest girls of Dinglefield.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading We did not meet again for some days after this, and next time I saw her, which was on Sunday at church with her children, it seemed impossible to me to believe in the reality of the strange scene we had so recently passed through together.
woman
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The calm curtain of ordinary decorums and ordinary friendliness had risen for a moment from Mrs. Merridew’s unexcited existence, revealing a woman distracted by a primitive sense of justice, rending her own soul, as it were, in sunder, and doing, in spite of herself and all her best instincts, what she felt was right.
YetconjunctionUS /jet/
but in spite of that
From this reading Yet, for one day, I had seen her resist and ignore the claims of her children, and act like an independent being.
