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 There was, however, a queer smell of singed hair.
all
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The machines were all noisily at work, and nothing seemed to be disarranged.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Then he saw an odd-looking crumpled mass clinging to the front of the big dynamo, and, approaching, recognised the distorted remains of Holroyd.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Azuma-zi tried to explain something, but the messenger could make nothing of the black’s incoherent English, and hurried on to the shed.
approaching
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then he saw an odd-looking crumpled mass clinging to the front of the big dynamo, and, approaching, recognised the distorted remains of Holroyd.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The messenger, sent in furious haste from the station to find out what had happened in the dynamo shed, met Azuma-zi at the porter’s lodge by the gate.
Azuma-zi
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The messenger, sent in furious haste from the station to find out what had happened in the dynamo shed, met Azuma-zi at the porter’s lodge by the gate.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading The machines were all noisily at work, and nothing seemed to be disarranged.
big
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then he saw an odd-looking crumpled mass clinging to the front of the big dynamo, and, approaching, recognised the distorted remains of Holroyd.
black's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Azuma-zi tried to explain something, but the messenger could make nothing of the black’s incoherent English, and hurried on to the shed.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Azuma-zi tried to explain something, but the messenger could make nothing of the black’s incoherent English, and hurried on to the shed.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The messenger, sent in furious haste from the station to find out what had happened in the dynamo shed, met Azuma-zi at the porter’s lodge by the gate.
clinging
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then he saw an odd-looking crumpled mass clinging to the front of the big dynamo, and, approaching, recognised the distorted remains of Holroyd.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Azuma-zi tried to explain something, but the messenger could make nothing of the black’s incoherent English, and hurried on to the shed.
crumpled
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then he saw an odd-looking crumpled mass clinging to the front of the big dynamo, and, approaching, recognised the distorted remains of Holroyd.
disarranged
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The machines were all noisily at work, and nothing seemed to be disarranged.
distorted
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then he saw an odd-looking crumpled mass clinging to the front of the big dynamo, and, approaching, recognised the distorted remains of Holroyd.
dynamo
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The messenger, sent in furious haste from the station to find out what had happened in the dynamo shed, met Azuma-zi at the porter’s lodge by the gate.
English
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Azuma-zi tried to explain something, but the messenger could make nothing of the black’s incoherent English, and hurried on to the shed.
explain
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Azuma-zi tried to explain something, but the messenger could make nothing of the black’s incoherent English, and hurried on to the shed.
find
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The messenger, sent in furious haste from the station to find out what had happened in the dynamo shed, met Azuma-zi at the porter’s lodge by the gate.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The messenger, sent in furious haste from the station to find out what had happened in the dynamo shed, met Azuma-zi at the porter’s lodge by the gate.
front
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then he saw an odd-looking crumpled mass clinging to the front of the big dynamo, and, approaching, recognised the distorted remains of Holroyd.
furious
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The messenger, sent in furious haste from the station to find out what had happened in the dynamo shed, met Azuma-zi at the porter’s lodge by the gate.
gate
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The messenger, sent in furious haste from the station to find out what had happened in the dynamo shed, met Azuma-zi at the porter’s lodge by the gate.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The messenger, sent in furious haste from the station to find out what had happened in the dynamo shed, met Azuma-zi at the porter’s lodge by the gate.
hair
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was, however, a queer smell of singed hair.
happened
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The messenger, sent in furious haste from the station to find out what had happened in the dynamo shed, met Azuma-zi at the porter’s lodge by the gate.
haste
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The messenger, sent in furious haste from the station to find out what had happened in the dynamo shed, met Azuma-zi at the porter’s lodge by the gate.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Then he saw an odd-looking crumpled mass clinging to the front of the big dynamo, and, approaching, recognised the distorted remains of Holroyd.
Holroyd
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then he saw an odd-looking crumpled mass clinging to the front of the big dynamo, and, approaching, recognised the distorted remains of Holroyd.
howeveradverbUS /ˌhaʊˈevər/
used to add a contrasting statement
From this reading There was, however, a queer smell of singed hair.
hurried
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Azuma-zi tried to explain something, but the messenger could make nothing of the black’s incoherent English, and hurried on to the shed.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The messenger, sent in furious haste from the station to find out what had happened in the dynamo shed, met Azuma-zi at the porter’s lodge by the gate.
incoherent
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Azuma-zi tried to explain something, but the messenger could make nothing of the black’s incoherent English, and hurried on to the shed.
lodge
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The messenger, sent in furious haste from the station to find out what had happened in the dynamo shed, met Azuma-zi at the porter’s lodge by the gate.
machines
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The machines were all noisily at work, and nothing seemed to be disarranged.
makenounUS /make/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Azuma-zi tried to explain something, but the messenger could make nothing of the black’s incoherent English, and hurried on to the shed.
mass
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then he saw an odd-looking crumpled mass clinging to the front of the big dynamo, and, approaching, recognised the distorted remains of Holroyd.
messenger
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The messenger, sent in furious haste from the station to find out what had happened in the dynamo shed, met Azuma-zi at the porter’s lodge by the gate.
met
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The messenger, sent in furious haste from the station to find out what had happened in the dynamo shed, met Azuma-zi at the porter’s lodge by the gate.
noisily
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The machines were all noisily at work, and nothing seemed to be disarranged.
nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/
not one thing; not anything
From this reading Azuma-zi tried to explain something, but the messenger could make nothing of the black’s incoherent English, and hurried on to the shed.
odd-looking
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then he saw an odd-looking crumpled mass clinging to the front of the big dynamo, and, approaching, recognised the distorted remains of Holroyd.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Azuma-zi tried to explain something, but the messenger could make nothing of the black’s incoherent English, and hurried on to the shed.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Azuma-zi tried to explain something, but the messenger could make nothing of the black’s incoherent English, and hurried on to the shed.
out
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The messenger, sent in furious haste from the station to find out what had happened in the dynamo shed, met Azuma-zi at the porter’s lodge by the gate.
porter's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The messenger, sent in furious haste from the station to find out what had happened in the dynamo shed, met Azuma-zi at the porter’s lodge by the gate.
queer
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was, however, a queer smell of singed hair.
recognised
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then he saw an odd-looking crumpled mass clinging to the front of the big dynamo, and, approaching, recognised the distorted remains of Holroyd.
remains
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then he saw an odd-looking crumpled mass clinging to the front of the big dynamo, and, approaching, recognised the distorted remains of Holroyd.
saw
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then he saw an odd-looking crumpled mass clinging to the front of the big dynamo, and, approaching, recognised the distorted remains of Holroyd.
seemednounUS /seemed/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The machines were all noisily at work, and nothing seemed to be disarranged.
sent
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The messenger, sent in furious haste from the station to find out what had happened in the dynamo shed, met Azuma-zi at the porter’s lodge by the gate.
shed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The messenger, sent in furious haste from the station to find out what had happened in the dynamo shed, met Azuma-zi at the porter’s lodge by the gate.
singed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was, however, a queer smell of singed hair.
smell
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was, however, a queer smell of singed hair.
somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/
a thing, without saying which
From this reading Azuma-zi tried to explain something, but the messenger could make nothing of the black’s incoherent English, and hurried on to the shed.
station
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The messenger, sent in furious haste from the station to find out what had happened in the dynamo shed, met Azuma-zi at the porter’s lodge by the gate.
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The messenger, sent in furious haste from the station to find out what had happened in the dynamo shed, met Azuma-zi at the porter’s lodge by the gate.
Then
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then he saw an odd-looking crumpled mass clinging to the front of the big dynamo, and, approaching, recognised the distorted remains of Holroyd.
There
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was, however, a queer smell of singed hair.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The messenger, sent in furious haste from the station to find out what had happened in the dynamo shed, met Azuma-zi at the porter’s lodge by the gate.
tried
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Azuma-zi tried to explain something, but the messenger could make nothing of the black’s incoherent English, and hurried on to the shed.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There was, however, a queer smell of singed hair.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The machines were all noisily at work, and nothing seemed to be disarranged.
whatpronounUS /wʌt/
used to ask for information about something
From this reading The messenger, sent in furious haste from the station to find out what had happened in the dynamo shed, met Azuma-zi at the porter’s lodge by the gate.
work
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The machines were all noisily at work, and nothing seemed to be disarranged.
