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Chapter VII
ETHEL AND TAMSIN When Ethel had read Matthew Thursby’s letter to the last word she quietly refolded the paper and laid it on the table. The sisters were watching her every movement intently. She wished they would speak—that they would say something—anything. But it seemed as if they were waiting for her to break the silence. Her eyes turned from one to the other.
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, audio, and collocations from this reading.
any thing at all
From this reading “She wished they would speak—that they would say something—anything.”
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading “The sisters were watching her every movement intently.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “ETHEL AND TAMSIN When Ethel had read Matthew Thursby’s letter to the last word she quietly refolded the paper and laid it on the table.”
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading “Her eyes turned from one to the other.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “But it seemed as if they were waiting for her to break the silence.”
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading “But it seemed as if they were waiting for her to break the silence.”
a thing, without saying which
From this reading “She wished they would speak—that they would say something—anything.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “She wished they would speak—that they would say something—anything.”
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading “But it seemed as if they were waiting for her to break the silence.”
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading “She wished they would speak—that they would say something—anything.”
Every word is available to listen to. Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading ETHEL AND TAMSIN When Ethel had read Matthew Thursby’s letter to the last word she quietly refolded the paper and laid it on the table.
any thing at all
From this reading She wished they would speak—that they would say something—anything.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading But it seemed as if they were waiting for her to break the silence.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But it seemed as if they were waiting for her to break the silence.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But it seemed as if they were waiting for her to break the silence.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ETHEL AND TAMSIN When Ethel had read Matthew Thursby’s letter to the last word she quietly refolded the paper and laid it on the table.
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading The sisters were watching her every movement intently.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Her eyes turned from one to the other.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading But it seemed as if they were waiting for her to break the silence.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Her eyes turned from one to the other.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading ETHEL AND TAMSIN When Ethel had read Matthew Thursby’s letter to the last word she quietly refolded the paper and laid it on the table.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading The sisters were watching her every movement intently.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading But it seemed as if they were waiting for her to break the silence.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sisters were watching her every movement intently.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading ETHEL AND TAMSIN When Ethel had read Matthew Thursby’s letter to the last word she quietly refolded the paper and laid it on the table.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ETHEL AND TAMSIN When Ethel had read Matthew Thursby’s letter to the last word she quietly refolded the paper and laid it on the table.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading ETHEL AND TAMSIN When Ethel had read Matthew Thursby’s letter to the last word she quietly refolded the paper and laid it on the table.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ETHEL AND TAMSIN When Ethel had read Matthew Thursby’s letter to the last word she quietly refolded the paper and laid it on the table.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ETHEL AND TAMSIN When Ethel had read Matthew Thursby’s letter to the last word she quietly refolded the paper and laid it on the table.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sisters were watching her every movement intently.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading ETHEL AND TAMSIN When Ethel had read Matthew Thursby’s letter to the last word she quietly refolded the paper and laid it on the table.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Her eyes turned from one to the other.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Her eyes turned from one to the other.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ETHEL AND TAMSIN When Ethel had read Matthew Thursby’s letter to the last word she quietly refolded the paper and laid it on the table.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ETHEL AND TAMSIN When Ethel had read Matthew Thursby’s letter to the last word she quietly refolded the paper and laid it on the table.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ETHEL AND TAMSIN When Ethel had read Matthew Thursby’s letter to the last word she quietly refolded the paper and laid it on the table.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ETHEL AND TAMSIN When Ethel had read Matthew Thursby’s letter to the last word she quietly refolded the paper and laid it on the table.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She wished they would speak—that they would say something—anything.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading But it seemed as if they were waiting for her to break the silence.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading ETHEL AND TAMSIN When Ethel had read Matthew Thursby’s letter to the last word she quietly refolded the paper and laid it on the table.
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading But it seemed as if they were waiting for her to break the silence.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sisters were watching her every movement intently.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading She wished they would speak—that they would say something—anything.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She wished they would speak—that they would say something—anything.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ETHEL AND TAMSIN When Ethel had read Matthew Thursby’s letter to the last word she quietly refolded the paper and laid it on the table.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ETHEL AND TAMSIN When Ethel had read Matthew Thursby’s letter to the last word she quietly refolded the paper and laid it on the table.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading She wished they would speak—that they would say something—anything.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading ETHEL AND TAMSIN When Ethel had read Matthew Thursby’s letter to the last word she quietly refolded the paper and laid it on the table.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She wished they would speak—that they would say something—anything.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ETHEL AND TAMSIN When Ethel had read Matthew Thursby’s letter to the last word she quietly refolded the paper and laid it on the table.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading ETHEL AND TAMSIN When Ethel had read Matthew Thursby’s letter to the last word she quietly refolded the paper and laid it on the table.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Her eyes turned from one to the other.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But it seemed as if they were waiting for her to break the silence.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sisters were watching her every movement intently.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The sisters were watching her every movement intently.
at the time that
From this reading ETHEL AND TAMSIN When Ethel had read Matthew Thursby’s letter to the last word she quietly refolded the paper and laid it on the table.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She wished they would speak—that they would say something—anything.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ETHEL AND TAMSIN When Ethel had read Matthew Thursby’s letter to the last word she quietly refolded the paper and laid it on the table.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading She wished they would speak—that they would say something—anything.
