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 The perfume from a drooping lilac-bush a few feet away from the open casement was mingled with the fainter odour of jessamine and homely stocks.
affair
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We sat at breakfast in our little sitting-room, and as though by common though unspoken consent we treated the whole affair as a gigantic joke.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading We spoke of it as an "opera-bouffe" attempt never likely to be repeated--the hare-brained scheme of a mad foreigner, over anxious to earn the favour of his mistress.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The perfume from a drooping lilac-bush a few feet away from the open casement was mingled with the fainter odour of jessamine and homely stocks.
anxious
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We spoke of it as an "opera-bouffe" attempt never likely to be repeated--the hare-brained scheme of a mad foreigner, over anxious to earn the favour of his mistress.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading We sat at breakfast in our little sitting-room, and as though by common though unspoken consent we treated the whole affair as a gigantic joke.
aspect
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We ignored its darker aspect.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading We sat at breakfast in our little sitting-room, and as though by common though unspoken consent we treated the whole affair as a gigantic joke.
attempt
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We spoke of it as an "opera-bouffe" attempt never likely to be repeated--the hare-brained scheme of a mad foreigner, over anxious to earn the favour of his mistress.
away
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The perfume from a drooping lilac-bush a few feet away from the open casement was mingled with the fainter odour of jessamine and homely stocks.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading We spoke of it as an "opera-bouffe" attempt never likely to be repeated--the hare-brained scheme of a mad foreigner, over anxious to earn the favour of his mistress.
breakfast
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We sat at breakfast in our little sitting-room, and as though by common though unspoken consent we treated the whole affair as a gigantic joke.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading We sat at breakfast in our little sitting-room, and as though by common though unspoken consent we treated the whole affair as a gigantic joke.
casement
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The perfume from a drooping lilac-bush a few feet away from the open casement was mingled with the fainter odour of jessamine and homely stocks.
common
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We sat at breakfast in our little sitting-room, and as though by common though unspoken consent we treated the whole affair as a gigantic joke.
consent
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We sat at breakfast in our little sitting-room, and as though by common though unspoken consent we treated the whole affair as a gigantic joke.
darker
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We ignored its darker aspect.
drooping
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The perfume from a drooping lilac-bush a few feet away from the open casement was mingled with the fainter odour of jessamine and homely stocks.
earn
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We spoke of it as an "opera-bouffe" attempt never likely to be repeated--the hare-brained scheme of a mad foreigner, over anxious to earn the favour of his mistress.
fainter
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The perfume from a drooping lilac-bush a few feet away from the open casement was mingled with the fainter odour of jessamine and homely stocks.
far
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the soft morning sunshine the terrors of last night seemed a thing far removed from us.
favour
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We spoke of it as an "opera-bouffe" attempt never likely to be repeated--the hare-brained scheme of a mad foreigner, over anxious to earn the favour of his mistress.
feet
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The perfume from a drooping lilac-bush a few feet away from the open casement was mingled with the fainter odour of jessamine and homely stocks.
few
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The perfume from a drooping lilac-bush a few feet away from the open casement was mingled with the fainter odour of jessamine and homely stocks.
foreigner
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We spoke of it as an "opera-bouffe" attempt never likely to be repeated--the hare-brained scheme of a mad foreigner, over anxious to earn the favour of his mistress.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The perfume from a drooping lilac-bush a few feet away from the open casement was mingled with the fainter odour of jessamine and homely stocks.
gigantic
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We sat at breakfast in our little sitting-room, and as though by common though unspoken consent we treated the whole affair as a gigantic joke.
hare-brained
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We spoke of it as an "opera-bouffe" attempt never likely to be repeated--the hare-brained scheme of a mad foreigner, over anxious to earn the favour of his mistress.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading We spoke of it as an "opera-bouffe" attempt never likely to be repeated--the hare-brained scheme of a mad foreigner, over anxious to earn the favour of his mistress.
homely
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The perfume from a drooping lilac-bush a few feet away from the open casement was mingled with the fainter odour of jessamine and homely stocks.
ignored
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We ignored its darker aspect.
InprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In the soft morning sunshine the terrors of last night seemed a thing far removed from us.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading We spoke of it as an "opera-bouffe" attempt never likely to be repeated--the hare-brained scheme of a mad foreigner, over anxious to earn the favour of his mistress.
itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading We ignored its darker aspect.
jessamine
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The perfume from a drooping lilac-bush a few feet away from the open casement was mingled with the fainter odour of jessamine and homely stocks.
joke
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We sat at breakfast in our little sitting-room, and as though by common though unspoken consent we treated the whole affair as a gigantic joke.
lastnounUS /last/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading In the soft morning sunshine the terrors of last night seemed a thing far removed from us.
likely
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We spoke of it as an "opera-bouffe" attempt never likely to be repeated--the hare-brained scheme of a mad foreigner, over anxious to earn the favour of his mistress.
lilac-bush
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The perfume from a drooping lilac-bush a few feet away from the open casement was mingled with the fainter odour of jessamine and homely stocks.
littlenounUS /little/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading We sat at breakfast in our little sitting-room, and as though by common though unspoken consent we treated the whole affair as a gigantic joke.
mad
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We spoke of it as an "opera-bouffe" attempt never likely to be repeated--the hare-brained scheme of a mad foreigner, over anxious to earn the favour of his mistress.
mingled
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The perfume from a drooping lilac-bush a few feet away from the open casement was mingled with the fainter odour of jessamine and homely stocks.
mistress
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We spoke of it as an "opera-bouffe" attempt never likely to be repeated--the hare-brained scheme of a mad foreigner, over anxious to earn the favour of his mistress.
morningnounUS /morning/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading In the soft morning sunshine the terrors of last night seemed a thing far removed from us.
nevernounUS /never/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading We spoke of it as an "opera-bouffe" attempt never likely to be repeated--the hare-brained scheme of a mad foreigner, over anxious to earn the favour of his mistress.
night
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the soft morning sunshine the terrors of last night seemed a thing far removed from us.
odour
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The perfume from a drooping lilac-bush a few feet away from the open casement was mingled with the fainter odour of jessamine and homely stocks.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The perfume from a drooping lilac-bush a few feet away from the open casement was mingled with the fainter odour of jessamine and homely stocks.
openverbUS /ˈoʊ.pən/
To move from a closed position.
From this reading The perfume from a drooping lilac-bush a few feet away from the open casement was mingled with the fainter odour of jessamine and homely stocks.
opera-bouffe
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We spoke of it as an "opera-bouffe" attempt never likely to be repeated--the hare-brained scheme of a mad foreigner, over anxious to earn the favour of his mistress.
ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading We sat at breakfast in our little sitting-room, and as though by common though unspoken consent we treated the whole affair as a gigantic joke.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading We spoke of it as an "opera-bouffe" attempt never likely to be repeated--the hare-brained scheme of a mad foreigner, over anxious to earn the favour of his mistress.
perfume
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The perfume from a drooping lilac-bush a few feet away from the open casement was mingled with the fainter odour of jessamine and homely stocks.
removed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the soft morning sunshine the terrors of last night seemed a thing far removed from us.
repeatednounUS /repeated/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading We spoke of it as an "opera-bouffe" attempt never likely to be repeated--the hare-brained scheme of a mad foreigner, over anxious to earn the favour of his mistress.
sat
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We sat at breakfast in our little sitting-room, and as though by common though unspoken consent we treated the whole affair as a gigantic joke.
scheme
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We spoke of it as an "opera-bouffe" attempt never likely to be repeated--the hare-brained scheme of a mad foreigner, over anxious to earn the favour of his mistress.
seemednounUS /seemed/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading In the soft morning sunshine the terrors of last night seemed a thing far removed from us.
sitting-room
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We sat at breakfast in our little sitting-room, and as though by common though unspoken consent we treated the whole affair as a gigantic joke.
soft
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the soft morning sunshine the terrors of last night seemed a thing far removed from us.
spoke
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We spoke of it as an "opera-bouffe" attempt never likely to be repeated--the hare-brained scheme of a mad foreigner, over anxious to earn the favour of his mistress.
stocks
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The perfume from a drooping lilac-bush a few feet away from the open casement was mingled with the fainter odour of jessamine and homely stocks.
sunshine
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the soft morning sunshine the terrors of last night seemed a thing far removed from us.
terrors
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the soft morning sunshine the terrors of last night seemed a thing far removed from us.
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The perfume from a drooping lilac-bush a few feet away from the open casement was mingled with the fainter odour of jessamine and homely stocks.
thingnounUS /thing/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading In the soft morning sunshine the terrors of last night seemed a thing far removed from us.
thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/
in spite of the fact that
From this reading We sat at breakfast in our little sitting-room, and as though by common though unspoken consent we treated the whole affair as a gigantic joke.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading We spoke of it as an "opera-bouffe" attempt never likely to be repeated--the hare-brained scheme of a mad foreigner, over anxious to earn the favour of his mistress.
treated
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We sat at breakfast in our little sitting-room, and as though by common though unspoken consent we treated the whole affair as a gigantic joke.
unspoken
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We sat at breakfast in our little sitting-room, and as though by common though unspoken consent we treated the whole affair as a gigantic joke.
uspronounUS /ʌs/
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading In the soft morning sunshine the terrors of last night seemed a thing far removed from us.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The perfume from a drooping lilac-bush a few feet away from the open casement was mingled with the fainter odour of jessamine and homely stocks.
WepronounUS /wiː/
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading We sat at breakfast in our little sitting-room, and as though by common though unspoken consent we treated the whole affair as a gigantic joke.
whole
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We sat at breakfast in our little sitting-room, and as though by common though unspoken consent we treated the whole affair as a gigantic joke.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading The perfume from a drooping lilac-bush a few feet away from the open casement was mingled with the fainter odour of jessamine and homely stocks.
