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 About thirty years from this date, when we have succeeded in half-educating everything that wears trousers, our Army will be a beautifully unreliable machine.
AboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading About thirty years from this date, when we have succeeded in half-educating everything that wears trousers, our Army will be a beautifully unreliable machine.
all
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Later still, when all men are at the mental level of the officer of to-day, it will sweep the earth.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It will know too much and it will do too little.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Later still, when all men are at the mental level of the officer of to-day, it will sweep the earth.
Army
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading About thirty years from this date, when we have succeeded in half-educating everything that wears trousers, our Army will be a beautifully unreliable machine.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Later still, when all men are at the mental level of the officer of to-day, it will sweep the earth.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading About thirty years from this date, when we have succeeded in half-educating everything that wears trousers, our Army will be a beautifully unreliable machine.
beautifully
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading About thirty years from this date, when we have succeeded in half-educating everything that wears trousers, our Army will be a beautifully unreliable machine.
best
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Speaking roughly, you must employ either blackguards or gentlemen, or, best of all, blackguards commanded by gentlemen, to do butcher's work with efficiency and despatch.
blackguards
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Speaking roughly, you must employ either blackguards or gentlemen, or, best of all, blackguards commanded by gentlemen, to do butcher's work with efficiency and despatch.
butcher's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Speaking roughly, you must employ either blackguards or gentlemen, or, best of all, blackguards commanded by gentlemen, to do butcher's work with efficiency and despatch.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Speaking roughly, you must employ either blackguards or gentlemen, or, best of all, blackguards commanded by gentlemen, to do butcher's work with efficiency and despatch.
commanded
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Speaking roughly, you must employ either blackguards or gentlemen, or, best of all, blackguards commanded by gentlemen, to do butcher's work with efficiency and despatch.
coursenounUS /course/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The ideal soldier should, of course, think for himself--the _Pocket-book_ says so.
date
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading About thirty years from this date, when we have succeeded in half-educating everything that wears trousers, our Army will be a beautifully unreliable machine.
despatch
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Speaking roughly, you must employ either blackguards or gentlemen, or, best of all, blackguards commanded by gentlemen, to do butcher's work with efficiency and despatch.
doauxiliary verbUS /duː/
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading It will know too much and it will do too little.
earth
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Later still, when all men are at the mental level of the officer of to-day, it will sweep the earth.
efficiency
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Speaking roughly, you must employ either blackguards or gentlemen, or, best of all, blackguards commanded by gentlemen, to do butcher's work with efficiency and despatch.
eitherdeterminerUS /ˈiːðər/
one or the other of two
From this reading Speaking roughly, you must employ either blackguards or gentlemen, or, best of all, blackguards commanded by gentlemen, to do butcher's work with efficiency and despatch.
employ
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Speaking roughly, you must employ either blackguards or gentlemen, or, best of all, blackguards commanded by gentlemen, to do butcher's work with efficiency and despatch.
everythingpronounUS /ˈevriθɪŋ/
all things; all of a situation
From this reading About thirty years from this date, when we have succeeded in half-educating everything that wears trousers, our Army will be a beautifully unreliable machine.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The ideal soldier should, of course, think for himself--the _Pocket-book_ says so.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading About thirty years from this date, when we have succeeded in half-educating everything that wears trousers, our Army will be a beautifully unreliable machine.
gentlemennounUS /gentlemen/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Speaking roughly, you must employ either blackguards or gentlemen, or, best of all, blackguards commanded by gentlemen, to do butcher's work with efficiency and despatch.
half-educating
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading About thirty years from this date, when we have succeeded in half-educating everything that wears trousers, our Army will be a beautifully unreliable machine.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading About thirty years from this date, when we have succeeded in half-educating everything that wears trousers, our Army will be a beautifully unreliable machine.
himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading The ideal soldier should, of course, think for himself--the _Pocket-book_ says so.
ideal
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The ideal soldier should, of course, think for himself--the _Pocket-book_ says so.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading About thirty years from this date, when we have succeeded in half-educating everything that wears trousers, our Army will be a beautifully unreliable machine.
ItpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It will know too much and it will do too little.
knownounUS /know/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading It will know too much and it will do too little.
Later
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Later still, when all men are at the mental level of the officer of to-day, it will sweep the earth.
level
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Later still, when all men are at the mental level of the officer of to-day, it will sweep the earth.
littlenounUS /little/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading It will know too much and it will do too little.
machine
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading About thirty years from this date, when we have succeeded in half-educating everything that wears trousers, our Army will be a beautifully unreliable machine.
men
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Later still, when all men are at the mental level of the officer of to-day, it will sweep the earth.
mental
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Later still, when all men are at the mental level of the officer of to-day, it will sweep the earth.
much
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It will know too much and it will do too little.
mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading Speaking roughly, you must employ either blackguards or gentlemen, or, best of all, blackguards commanded by gentlemen, to do butcher's work with efficiency and despatch.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Later still, when all men are at the mental level of the officer of to-day, it will sweep the earth.
officer
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Later still, when all men are at the mental level of the officer of to-day, it will sweep the earth.
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Speaking roughly, you must employ either blackguards or gentlemen, or, best of all, blackguards commanded by gentlemen, to do butcher's work with efficiency and despatch.
ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading About thirty years from this date, when we have succeeded in half-educating everything that wears trousers, our Army will be a beautifully unreliable machine.
Pocket-book
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The ideal soldier should, of course, think for himself--the _Pocket-book_ says so.
roughly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Speaking roughly, you must employ either blackguards or gentlemen, or, best of all, blackguards commanded by gentlemen, to do butcher's work with efficiency and despatch.
says
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The ideal soldier should, of course, think for himself--the _Pocket-book_ says so.
shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading The ideal soldier should, of course, think for himself--the _Pocket-book_ says so.
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading The ideal soldier should, of course, think for himself--the _Pocket-book_ says so.
soldier
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The ideal soldier should, of course, think for himself--the _Pocket-book_ says so.
Speaking
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Speaking roughly, you must employ either blackguards or gentlemen, or, best of all, blackguards commanded by gentlemen, to do butcher's work with efficiency and despatch.
stillnounUS /still/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Later still, when all men are at the mental level of the officer of to-day, it will sweep the earth.
succeeded
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading About thirty years from this date, when we have succeeded in half-educating everything that wears trousers, our Army will be a beautifully unreliable machine.
sweep
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Later still, when all men are at the mental level of the officer of to-day, it will sweep the earth.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading About thirty years from this date, when we have succeeded in half-educating everything that wears trousers, our Army will be a beautifully unreliable machine.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Later still, when all men are at the mental level of the officer of to-day, it will sweep the earth.
thinknounUS /think/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The ideal soldier should, of course, think for himself--the _Pocket-book_ says so.
thirty
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading About thirty years from this date, when we have succeeded in half-educating everything that wears trousers, our Army will be a beautifully unreliable machine.
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading About thirty years from this date, when we have succeeded in half-educating everything that wears trousers, our Army will be a beautifully unreliable machine.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Speaking roughly, you must employ either blackguards or gentlemen, or, best of all, blackguards commanded by gentlemen, to do butcher's work with efficiency and despatch.
to-day
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Later still, when all men are at the mental level of the officer of to-day, it will sweep the earth.
too
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It will know too much and it will do too little.
trousers
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading About thirty years from this date, when we have succeeded in half-educating everything that wears trousers, our Army will be a beautifully unreliable machine.
unreliable
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading About thirty years from this date, when we have succeeded in half-educating everything that wears trousers, our Army will be a beautifully unreliable machine.
wepronounUS /wiː/
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading About thirty years from this date, when we have succeeded in half-educating everything that wears trousers, our Army will be a beautifully unreliable machine.
wears
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading About thirty years from this date, when we have succeeded in half-educating everything that wears trousers, our Army will be a beautifully unreliable machine.
whenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading About thirty years from this date, when we have succeeded in half-educating everything that wears trousers, our Army will be a beautifully unreliable machine.
willmodal verbUS /wɪl/
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading About thirty years from this date, when we have succeeded in half-educating everything that wears trousers, our Army will be a beautifully unreliable machine.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading Speaking roughly, you must employ either blackguards or gentlemen, or, best of all, blackguards commanded by gentlemen, to do butcher's work with efficiency and despatch.
work
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Speaking roughly, you must employ either blackguards or gentlemen, or, best of all, blackguards commanded by gentlemen, to do butcher's work with efficiency and despatch.
years
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading About thirty years from this date, when we have succeeded in half-educating everything that wears trousers, our Army will be a beautifully unreliable machine.
youpronounUS /juː/
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Speaking roughly, you must employ either blackguards or gentlemen, or, best of all, blackguards commanded by gentlemen, to do butcher's work with efficiency and despatch.
