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 was helpless in the hands of a man whose very face betrayed his vile unscrupulousness.
acrossprepositionUS /əˈkrɔːs/
from one side of something to the other
From this reading Her blouse of pale blue _crêpe-de-chine_ was ripped right across the breast as she endeavoured to wrench herself from his grasp.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading She saw, now that the telegram was destroyed, that this man who had posed as Frank’s friend could make his vile story entirely complete.
begged
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She begged mercy from him, begged wildly upon her knees, but he only laughed in her face in triumph.
betrayed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She was helpless in the hands of a man whose very face betrayed his vile unscrupulousness.
blouse
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Her blouse of pale blue _crêpe-de-chine_ was ripped right across the breast as she endeavoured to wrench herself from his grasp.
blue
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Her blouse of pale blue _crêpe-de-chine_ was ripped right across the breast as she endeavoured to wrench herself from his grasp.
breast
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Her blouse of pale blue _crêpe-de-chine_ was ripped right across the breast as she endeavoured to wrench herself from his grasp.
breath
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the struggle she felt his hot foetid breath upon her cheek.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading She begged mercy from him, begged wildly upon her knees, but he only laughed in her face in triumph.
cheek
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the struggle she felt his hot foetid breath upon her cheek.
completenounUS /complete/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading She saw, now that the telegram was destroyed, that this man who had posed as Frank’s friend could make his vile story entirely complete.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading She saw, now that the telegram was destroyed, that this man who had posed as Frank’s friend could make his vile story entirely complete.
crêpe-de-chine
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Her blouse of pale blue _crêpe-de-chine_ was ripped right across the breast as she endeavoured to wrench herself from his grasp.
destroyed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She saw, now that the telegram was destroyed, that this man who had posed as Frank’s friend could make his vile story entirely complete.
endeavoured
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Her blouse of pale blue _crêpe-de-chine_ was ripped right across the breast as she endeavoured to wrench herself from his grasp.
entirelynounUS /ˈentirely/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading She saw, now that the telegram was destroyed, that this man who had posed as Frank’s friend could make his vile story entirely complete.
face
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She begged mercy from him, begged wildly upon her knees, but he only laughed in her face in triumph.
felt
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the struggle she felt his hot foetid breath upon her cheek.
foetid
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the struggle she felt his hot foetid breath upon her cheek.
Frank's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She saw, now that the telegram was destroyed, that this man who had posed as Frank’s friend could make his vile story entirely complete.
friend
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She saw, now that the telegram was destroyed, that this man who had posed as Frank’s friend could make his vile story entirely complete.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading She begged mercy from him, begged wildly upon her knees, but he only laughed in her face in triumph.
graspnounUS /ɡræsp/
a firm hold in a specific situation in this story
From this reading Her blouse of pale blue _crêpe-de-chine_ was ripped right across the breast as she endeavoured to wrench herself from his grasp.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading She saw, now that the telegram was destroyed, that this man who had posed as Frank’s friend could make his vile story entirely complete.
handsplural nounUS /hændz/
members of a ship’s crew
From this reading She was helpless in the hands of a man whose very face betrayed his vile unscrupulousness.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She begged mercy from him, begged wildly upon her knees, but he only laughed in her face in triumph.
helpless
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She was helpless in the hands of a man whose very face betrayed his vile unscrupulousness.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading She begged mercy from him, begged wildly upon her knees, but he only laughed in her face in triumph.
herselfpronounUS /hərˈself/
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading Her blouse of pale blue _crêpe-de-chine_ was ripped right across the breast as she endeavoured to wrench herself from his grasp.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading She begged mercy from him, begged wildly upon her knees, but he only laughed in her face in triumph.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading She saw, now that the telegram was destroyed, that this man who had posed as Frank’s friend could make his vile story entirely complete.
hot
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the struggle she felt his hot foetid breath upon her cheek.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading She begged mercy from him, begged wildly upon her knees, but he only laughed in her face in triumph.
knees
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She begged mercy from him, begged wildly upon her knees, but he only laughed in her face in triumph.
laughed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She begged mercy from him, begged wildly upon her knees, but he only laughed in her face in triumph.
makenounUS /make/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading She saw, now that the telegram was destroyed, that this man who had posed as Frank’s friend could make his vile story entirely complete.
man
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She saw, now that the telegram was destroyed, that this man who had posed as Frank’s friend could make his vile story entirely complete.
mercy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She begged mercy from him, begged wildly upon her knees, but he only laughed in her face in triumph.
now
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She saw, now that the telegram was destroyed, that this man who had posed as Frank’s friend could make his vile story entirely complete.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading She was helpless in the hands of a man whose very face betrayed his vile unscrupulousness.
only
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She begged mercy from him, begged wildly upon her knees, but he only laughed in her face in triumph.
pale
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Her blouse of pale blue _crêpe-de-chine_ was ripped right across the breast as she endeavoured to wrench herself from his grasp.
posed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She saw, now that the telegram was destroyed, that this man who had posed as Frank’s friend could make his vile story entirely complete.
rightnounUS /right/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Her blouse of pale blue _crêpe-de-chine_ was ripped right across the breast as she endeavoured to wrench herself from his grasp.
ripped
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Her blouse of pale blue _crêpe-de-chine_ was ripped right across the breast as she endeavoured to wrench herself from his grasp.
saw
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She saw, now that the telegram was destroyed, that this man who had posed as Frank’s friend could make his vile story entirely complete.
ShepronounUS /ʃiː/
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She begged mercy from him, begged wildly upon her knees, but he only laughed in her face in triumph.
story
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She saw, now that the telegram was destroyed, that this man who had posed as Frank’s friend could make his vile story entirely complete.
struggle
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the struggle she felt his hot foetid breath upon her cheek.
telegram
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She saw, now that the telegram was destroyed, that this man who had posed as Frank’s friend could make his vile story entirely complete.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading She saw, now that the telegram was destroyed, that this man who had posed as Frank’s friend could make his vile story entirely complete.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading She saw, now that the telegram was destroyed, that this man who had posed as Frank’s friend could make his vile story entirely complete.
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading She saw, now that the telegram was destroyed, that this man who had posed as Frank’s friend could make his vile story entirely complete.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Her blouse of pale blue _crêpe-de-chine_ was ripped right across the breast as she endeavoured to wrench herself from his grasp.
triumph
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She begged mercy from him, begged wildly upon her knees, but he only laughed in her face in triumph.
unscrupulousness
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She was helpless in the hands of a man whose very face betrayed his vile unscrupulousness.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading She begged mercy from him, begged wildly upon her knees, but he only laughed in her face in triumph.
very
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She was helpless in the hands of a man whose very face betrayed his vile unscrupulousness.
vile
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She saw, now that the telegram was destroyed, that this man who had posed as Frank’s friend could make his vile story entirely complete.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading She saw, now that the telegram was destroyed, that this man who had posed as Frank’s friend could make his vile story entirely complete.
whopronounUS /huː/
which person or people
From this reading She saw, now that the telegram was destroyed, that this man who had posed as Frank’s friend could make his vile story entirely complete.
whosedeterminerUS /huːz/
belonging to which person
From this reading She was helpless in the hands of a man whose very face betrayed his vile unscrupulousness.
wildly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She begged mercy from him, begged wildly upon her knees, but he only laughed in her face in triumph.
wrenchnounUS /rɛntʃ/
a sudden twisting movement that causes pain
From this reading Her blouse of pale blue _crêpe-de-chine_ was ripped right across the breast as she endeavoured to wrench herself from his grasp.
