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 She rose from her filthy old chair by the fireside, and went to a table covered with a green cloth so worn that you could count the threads.
amauxiliary verbUS /æm/
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading "Here I am!"
ancientadjectiveUS /ˈeɪn.ʃənt/
Belonging to the very distant past and no longer in existence or deeply revered.
From this reading "Astaroth! here, my son!" she said, and the creature looked up intelligently at her as she rapped him on the back with a long knitting-needle.--"And you, Mademoiselle Cleopatre!--attention!" she continued, tapping the ancient fowl on the beak.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading She rose from her filthy old chair by the fireside, and went to a table covered with a green cloth so worn that you could count the threads.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading "Astaroth! here, my son!" she said, and the creature looked up intelligently at her as she rapped him on the back with a long knitting-needle.--"And you, Mademoiselle Cleopatre!--attention!" she continued, tapping the ancient fowl on the beak.
Astaroth
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Astaroth! here, my son!" she said, and the creature looked up intelligently at her as she rapped him on the back with a long knitting-needle.--"And you, Mademoiselle Cleopatre!--attention!" she continued, tapping the ancient fowl on the beak.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading "Astaroth! here, my son!" she said, and the creature looked up intelligently at her as she rapped him on the back with a long knitting-needle.--"And you, Mademoiselle Cleopatre!--attention!" she continued, tapping the ancient fowl on the beak.
attention
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Astaroth! here, my son!" she said, and the creature looked up intelligently at her as she rapped him on the back with a long knitting-needle.--"And you, Mademoiselle Cleopatre!--attention!" she continued, tapping the ancient fowl on the beak.
back
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Astaroth! here, my son!" she said, and the creature looked up intelligently at her as she rapped him on the back with a long knitting-needle.--"And you, Mademoiselle Cleopatre!--attention!" she continued, tapping the ancient fowl on the beak.
beak
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Astaroth! here, my son!" she said, and the creature looked up intelligently at her as she rapped him on the back with a long knitting-needle.--"And you, Mademoiselle Cleopatre!--attention!" she continued, tapping the ancient fowl on the beak.
begannounUS /began/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Then Mme. Fontaine began to think; for several seconds she did not move; she looked like a corpse, her eyes rolled in their sockets and grew white; then she rose stiff and erect, and a cavernous voice cried:
besideprepositionUS /bɪˈsaɪd/
next to; at the side of
From this reading A huge toad sat dozing there beside a cage inhabited by a black disheveled-looking fowl.
black
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A huge toad sat dozing there beside a cage inhabited by a black disheveled-looking fowl.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading She rose from her filthy old chair by the fireside, and went to a table covered with a green cloth so worn that you could count the threads.
cage
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A huge toad sat dozing there beside a cage inhabited by a black disheveled-looking fowl.
cavernous
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then Mme. Fontaine began to think; for several seconds she did not move; she looked like a corpse, her eyes rolled in their sockets and grew white; then she rose stiff and erect, and a cavernous voice cried:
chair
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She rose from her filthy old chair by the fireside, and went to a table covered with a green cloth so worn that you could count the threads.
Cleopatre
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Astaroth! here, my son!" she said, and the creature looked up intelligently at her as she rapped him on the back with a long knitting-needle.--"And you, Mademoiselle Cleopatre!--attention!" she continued, tapping the ancient fowl on the beak.
cloth
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She rose from her filthy old chair by the fireside, and went to a table covered with a green cloth so worn that you could count the threads.
continuednounUS /ˈcontinued/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading "Astaroth! here, my son!" she said, and the creature looked up intelligently at her as she rapped him on the back with a long knitting-needle.--"And you, Mademoiselle Cleopatre!--attention!" she continued, tapping the ancient fowl on the beak.
corpse
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then Mme. Fontaine began to think; for several seconds she did not move; she looked like a corpse, her eyes rolled in their sockets and grew white; then she rose stiff and erect, and a cavernous voice cried:
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading She rose from her filthy old chair by the fireside, and went to a table covered with a green cloth so worn that you could count the threads.
count
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She rose from her filthy old chair by the fireside, and went to a table covered with a green cloth so worn that you could count the threads.
covered
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She rose from her filthy old chair by the fireside, and went to a table covered with a green cloth so worn that you could count the threads.
creaturenounUS /ˈcreature/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading "Astaroth! here, my son!" she said, and the creature looked up intelligently at her as she rapped him on the back with a long knitting-needle.--"And you, Mademoiselle Cleopatre!--attention!" she continued, tapping the ancient fowl on the beak.
criednounUS /cried/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Then Mme. Fontaine began to think; for several seconds she did not move; she looked like a corpse, her eyes rolled in their sockets and grew white; then she rose stiff and erect, and a cavernous voice cried:
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading Then Mme. Fontaine began to think; for several seconds she did not move; she looked like a corpse, her eyes rolled in their sockets and grew white; then she rose stiff and erect, and a cavernous voice cried:
disheveled-looking
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A huge toad sat dozing there beside a cage inhabited by a black disheveled-looking fowl.
dozing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A huge toad sat dozing there beside a cage inhabited by a black disheveled-looking fowl.
erect
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then Mme. Fontaine began to think; for several seconds she did not move; she looked like a corpse, her eyes rolled in their sockets and grew white; then she rose stiff and erect, and a cavernous voice cried:
eyes
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then Mme. Fontaine began to think; for several seconds she did not move; she looked like a corpse, her eyes rolled in their sockets and grew white; then she rose stiff and erect, and a cavernous voice cried:
filthy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She rose from her filthy old chair by the fireside, and went to a table covered with a green cloth so worn that you could count the threads.
fireside
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She rose from her filthy old chair by the fireside, and went to a table covered with a green cloth so worn that you could count the threads.
Fontaine
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then Mme. Fontaine began to think; for several seconds she did not move; she looked like a corpse, her eyes rolled in their sockets and grew white; then she rose stiff and erect, and a cavernous voice cried:
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Then Mme. Fontaine began to think; for several seconds she did not move; she looked like a corpse, her eyes rolled in their sockets and grew white; then she rose stiff and erect, and a cavernous voice cried:
fowl
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A huge toad sat dozing there beside a cage inhabited by a black disheveled-looking fowl.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading She rose from her filthy old chair by the fireside, and went to a table covered with a green cloth so worn that you could count the threads.
green
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She rose from her filthy old chair by the fireside, and went to a table covered with a green cloth so worn that you could count the threads.
grew
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then Mme. Fontaine began to think; for several seconds she did not move; she looked like a corpse, her eyes rolled in their sockets and grew white; then she rose stiff and erect, and a cavernous voice cried:
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading She rose from her filthy old chair by the fireside, and went to a table covered with a green cloth so worn that you could count the threads.
herenounUS /here/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading "Astaroth! here, my son!" she said, and the creature looked up intelligently at her as she rapped him on the back with a long knitting-needle.--"And you, Mademoiselle Cleopatre!--attention!" she continued, tapping the ancient fowl on the beak.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Astaroth! here, my son!" she said, and the creature looked up intelligently at her as she rapped him on the back with a long knitting-needle.--"And you, Mademoiselle Cleopatre!--attention!" she continued, tapping the ancient fowl on the beak.
huge
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A huge toad sat dozing there beside a cage inhabited by a black disheveled-looking fowl.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Here I am!"
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Then Mme. Fontaine began to think; for several seconds she did not move; she looked like a corpse, her eyes rolled in their sockets and grew white; then she rose stiff and erect, and a cavernous voice cried:
inhabited
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A huge toad sat dozing there beside a cage inhabited by a black disheveled-looking fowl.
intelligently
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Astaroth! here, my son!" she said, and the creature looked up intelligently at her as she rapped him on the back with a long knitting-needle.--"And you, Mademoiselle Cleopatre!--attention!" she continued, tapping the ancient fowl on the beak.
knitting-needle
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Astaroth! here, my son!" she said, and the creature looked up intelligently at her as she rapped him on the back with a long knitting-needle.--"And you, Mademoiselle Cleopatre!--attention!" she continued, tapping the ancient fowl on the beak.
like
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then Mme. Fontaine began to think; for several seconds she did not move; she looked like a corpse, her eyes rolled in their sockets and grew white; then she rose stiff and erect, and a cavernous voice cried:
longnounUS /long/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading "Astaroth! here, my son!" she said, and the creature looked up intelligently at her as she rapped him on the back with a long knitting-needle.--"And you, Mademoiselle Cleopatre!--attention!" she continued, tapping the ancient fowl on the beak.
lookednounUS /looked/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading "Astaroth! here, my son!" she said, and the creature looked up intelligently at her as she rapped him on the back with a long knitting-needle.--"And you, Mademoiselle Cleopatre!--attention!" she continued, tapping the ancient fowl on the beak.
Mademoiselle
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Astaroth! here, my son!" she said, and the creature looked up intelligently at her as she rapped him on the back with a long knitting-needle.--"And you, Mademoiselle Cleopatre!--attention!" she continued, tapping the ancient fowl on the beak.
Mme
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then Mme. Fontaine began to think; for several seconds she did not move; she looked like a corpse, her eyes rolled in their sockets and grew white; then she rose stiff and erect, and a cavernous voice cried:
move
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then Mme. Fontaine began to think; for several seconds she did not move; she looked like a corpse, her eyes rolled in their sockets and grew white; then she rose stiff and erect, and a cavernous voice cried:
mydeterminerUS /maɪ/
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "Astaroth! here, my son!" she said, and the creature looked up intelligently at her as she rapped him on the back with a long knitting-needle.--"And you, Mademoiselle Cleopatre!--attention!" she continued, tapping the ancient fowl on the beak.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Then Mme. Fontaine began to think; for several seconds she did not move; she looked like a corpse, her eyes rolled in their sockets and grew white; then she rose stiff and erect, and a cavernous voice cried:
old
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She rose from her filthy old chair by the fireside, and went to a table covered with a green cloth so worn that you could count the threads.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading "Astaroth! here, my son!" she said, and the creature looked up intelligently at her as she rapped him on the back with a long knitting-needle.--"And you, Mademoiselle Cleopatre!--attention!" she continued, tapping the ancient fowl on the beak.
rapped
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Astaroth! here, my son!" she said, and the creature looked up intelligently at her as she rapped him on the back with a long knitting-needle.--"And you, Mademoiselle Cleopatre!--attention!" she continued, tapping the ancient fowl on the beak.
rolled
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then Mme. Fontaine began to think; for several seconds she did not move; she looked like a corpse, her eyes rolled in their sockets and grew white; then she rose stiff and erect, and a cavernous voice cried:
rose
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She rose from her filthy old chair by the fireside, and went to a table covered with a green cloth so worn that you could count the threads.
said
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Astaroth! here, my son!" she said, and the creature looked up intelligently at her as she rapped him on the back with a long knitting-needle.--"And you, Mademoiselle Cleopatre!--attention!" she continued, tapping the ancient fowl on the beak.
sat
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A huge toad sat dozing there beside a cage inhabited by a black disheveled-looking fowl.
seconds
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then Mme. Fontaine began to think; for several seconds she did not move; she looked like a corpse, her eyes rolled in their sockets and grew white; then she rose stiff and erect, and a cavernous voice cried:
several
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then Mme. Fontaine began to think; for several seconds she did not move; she looked like a corpse, her eyes rolled in their sockets and grew white; then she rose stiff and erect, and a cavernous voice cried:
ShepronounUS /ʃiː/
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She rose from her filthy old chair by the fireside, and went to a table covered with a green cloth so worn that you could count the threads.
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading She rose from her filthy old chair by the fireside, and went to a table covered with a green cloth so worn that you could count the threads.
sockets
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then Mme. Fontaine began to think; for several seconds she did not move; she looked like a corpse, her eyes rolled in their sockets and grew white; then she rose stiff and erect, and a cavernous voice cried:
son
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Astaroth! here, my son!" she said, and the creature looked up intelligently at her as she rapped him on the back with a long knitting-needle.--"And you, Mademoiselle Cleopatre!--attention!" she continued, tapping the ancient fowl on the beak.
stiff
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then Mme. Fontaine began to think; for several seconds she did not move; she looked like a corpse, her eyes rolled in their sockets and grew white; then she rose stiff and erect, and a cavernous voice cried:
table
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She rose from her filthy old chair by the fireside, and went to a table covered with a green cloth so worn that you could count the threads.
tapping
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Astaroth! here, my son!" she said, and the creature looked up intelligently at her as she rapped him on the back with a long knitting-needle.--"And you, Mademoiselle Cleopatre!--attention!" she continued, tapping the ancient fowl on the beak.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading She rose from her filthy old chair by the fireside, and went to a table covered with a green cloth so worn that you could count the threads.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading She rose from her filthy old chair by the fireside, and went to a table covered with a green cloth so worn that you could count the threads.
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Then Mme. Fontaine began to think; for several seconds she did not move; she looked like a corpse, her eyes rolled in their sockets and grew white; then she rose stiff and erect, and a cavernous voice cried:
Then
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then Mme. Fontaine began to think; for several seconds she did not move; she looked like a corpse, her eyes rolled in their sockets and grew white; then she rose stiff and erect, and a cavernous voice cried:
there
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A huge toad sat dozing there beside a cage inhabited by a black disheveled-looking fowl.
thinknounUS /think/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Then Mme. Fontaine began to think; for several seconds she did not move; she looked like a corpse, her eyes rolled in their sockets and grew white; then she rose stiff and erect, and a cavernous voice cried:
threads
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She rose from her filthy old chair by the fireside, and went to a table covered with a green cloth so worn that you could count the threads.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading She rose from her filthy old chair by the fireside, and went to a table covered with a green cloth so worn that you could count the threads.
toad
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A huge toad sat dozing there beside a cage inhabited by a black disheveled-looking fowl.
up
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Astaroth! here, my son!" she said, and the creature looked up intelligently at her as she rapped him on the back with a long knitting-needle.--"And you, Mademoiselle Cleopatre!--attention!" she continued, tapping the ancient fowl on the beak.
voice
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then Mme. Fontaine began to think; for several seconds she did not move; she looked like a corpse, her eyes rolled in their sockets and grew white; then she rose stiff and erect, and a cavernous voice cried:
wentnounUS /went/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading She rose from her filthy old chair by the fireside, and went to a table covered with a green cloth so worn that you could count the threads.
white
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then Mme. Fontaine began to think; for several seconds she did not move; she looked like a corpse, her eyes rolled in their sockets and grew white; then she rose stiff and erect, and a cavernous voice cried:
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading She rose from her filthy old chair by the fireside, and went to a table covered with a green cloth so worn that you could count the threads.
wornverbUS /wɔːrn/
Damaged or thinned by continuous use.
From this reading She rose from her filthy old chair by the fireside, and went to a table covered with a green cloth so worn that you could count the threads.
youpronounUS /juː/
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading She rose from her filthy old chair by the fireside, and went to a table covered with a green cloth so worn that you could count the threads.