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 houses were dark in the August night and the perspective of Beacon Street, with its double chain of lamps, was a foreshortened desert.
afternoonnounUS /ˈafternoon/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading I was even glad of what I had learned in the afternoon at the office of the company—that at the eleventh hour an old ship with a lower standard of speed had been put on in place of the vessel in which I had taken my passage.
alonenounUS /alone/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The club on the hill alone, from its semi-cylindrical front, projected a glow upon the dusky vagueness of the Common, and as I passed it I heard in the hot stillness the click of a pair of billiard-balls.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading I was even glad of what I had learned in the afternoon at the office of the company—that at the eleventh hour an old ship with a lower standard of speed had been put on in place of the vessel in which I had taken my passage.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading THE houses were dark in the August night and the perspective of Beacon Street, with its double chain of lamps, was a foreshortened desert.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The club on the hill alone, from its semi-cylindrical front, projected a glow upon the dusky vagueness of the Common, and as I passed it I heard in the hot stillness the click of a pair of billiard-balls.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading I was even glad of what I had learned in the afternoon at the office of the company—that at the eleventh hour an old ship with a lower standard of speed had been put on in place of the vessel in which I had taken my passage.
August
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE houses were dark in the August night and the perspective of Beacon Street, with its double chain of lamps, was a foreshortened desert.
Beacon
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE houses were dark in the August night and the perspective of Beacon Street, with its double chain of lamps, was a foreshortened desert.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading I was even glad of what I had learned in the afternoon at the office of the company—that at the eleventh hour an old ship with a lower standard of speed had been put on in place of the vessel in which I had taken my passage.
billiard-balls
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The club on the hill alone, from its semi-cylindrical front, projected a glow upon the dusky vagueness of the Common, and as I passed it I heard in the hot stillness the click of a pair of billiard-balls.
breeze
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The heat was insufferable and I thought with joy of the morrow, of the deck of the steamer, the freshening breeze, the sense of getting out to sea.
chain
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE houses were dark in the August night and the perspective of Beacon Street, with its double chain of lamps, was a foreshortened desert.
click
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The club on the hill alone, from its semi-cylindrical front, projected a glow upon the dusky vagueness of the Common, and as I passed it I heard in the hot stillness the click of a pair of billiard-balls.
club
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The club on the hill alone, from its semi-cylindrical front, projected a glow upon the dusky vagueness of the Common, and as I passed it I heard in the hot stillness the click of a pair of billiard-balls.
Common
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The club on the hill alone, from its semi-cylindrical front, projected a glow upon the dusky vagueness of the Common, and as I passed it I heard in the hot stillness the click of a pair of billiard-balls.
company
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I was even glad of what I had learned in the afternoon at the office of the company—that at the eleventh hour an old ship with a lower standard of speed had been put on in place of the vessel in which I had taken my passage.
dark
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE houses were dark in the August night and the perspective of Beacon Street, with its double chain of lamps, was a foreshortened desert.
deck
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The heat was insufferable and I thought with joy of the morrow, of the deck of the steamer, the freshening breeze, the sense of getting out to sea.
desert
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE houses were dark in the August night and the perspective of Beacon Street, with its double chain of lamps, was a foreshortened desert.
double
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE houses were dark in the August night and the perspective of Beacon Street, with its double chain of lamps, was a foreshortened desert.
dusky
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The club on the hill alone, from its semi-cylindrical front, projected a glow upon the dusky vagueness of the Common, and as I passed it I heard in the hot stillness the click of a pair of billiard-balls.
eleventh
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I was even glad of what I had learned in the afternoon at the office of the company—that at the eleventh hour an old ship with a lower standard of speed had been put on in place of the vessel in which I had taken my passage.
evennounUS /even/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading I was even glad of what I had learned in the afternoon at the office of the company—that at the eleventh hour an old ship with a lower standard of speed had been put on in place of the vessel in which I had taken my passage.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading As “every one” was out of town perhaps the servants, in the extravagance of their leisure, were profaning the tables.
extravagance
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As “every one” was out of town perhaps the servants, in the extravagance of their leisure, were profaning the tables.
foreshortened
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE houses were dark in the August night and the perspective of Beacon Street, with its double chain of lamps, was a foreshortened desert.
freshening
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The heat was insufferable and I thought with joy of the morrow, of the deck of the steamer, the freshening breeze, the sense of getting out to sea.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The club on the hill alone, from its semi-cylindrical front, projected a glow upon the dusky vagueness of the Common, and as I passed it I heard in the hot stillness the click of a pair of billiard-balls.
front
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The club on the hill alone, from its semi-cylindrical front, projected a glow upon the dusky vagueness of the Common, and as I passed it I heard in the hot stillness the click of a pair of billiard-balls.
getting
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The heat was insufferable and I thought with joy of the morrow, of the deck of the steamer, the freshening breeze, the sense of getting out to sea.
glad
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I was even glad of what I had learned in the afternoon at the office of the company—that at the eleventh hour an old ship with a lower standard of speed had been put on in place of the vessel in which I had taken my passage.
glow
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The club on the hill alone, from its semi-cylindrical front, projected a glow upon the dusky vagueness of the Common, and as I passed it I heard in the hot stillness the click of a pair of billiard-balls.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading I was even glad of what I had learned in the afternoon at the office of the company—that at the eleventh hour an old ship with a lower standard of speed had been put on in place of the vessel in which I had taken my passage.
heard
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The club on the hill alone, from its semi-cylindrical front, projected a glow upon the dusky vagueness of the Common, and as I passed it I heard in the hot stillness the click of a pair of billiard-balls.
heat
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The heat was insufferable and I thought with joy of the morrow, of the deck of the steamer, the freshening breeze, the sense of getting out to sea.
hill
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The club on the hill alone, from its semi-cylindrical front, projected a glow upon the dusky vagueness of the Common, and as I passed it I heard in the hot stillness the click of a pair of billiard-balls.
hot
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The club on the hill alone, from its semi-cylindrical front, projected a glow upon the dusky vagueness of the Common, and as I passed it I heard in the hot stillness the click of a pair of billiard-balls.
hour
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I was even glad of what I had learned in the afternoon at the office of the company—that at the eleventh hour an old ship with a lower standard of speed had been put on in place of the vessel in which I had taken my passage.
houses
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE houses were dark in the August night and the perspective of Beacon Street, with its double chain of lamps, was a foreshortened desert.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading The club on the hill alone, from its semi-cylindrical front, projected a glow upon the dusky vagueness of the Common, and as I passed it I heard in the hot stillness the click of a pair of billiard-balls.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THE houses were dark in the August night and the perspective of Beacon Street, with its double chain of lamps, was a foreshortened desert.
insufferable
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The heat was insufferable and I thought with joy of the morrow, of the deck of the steamer, the freshening breeze, the sense of getting out to sea.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The club on the hill alone, from its semi-cylindrical front, projected a glow upon the dusky vagueness of the Common, and as I passed it I heard in the hot stillness the click of a pair of billiard-balls.
itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading THE houses were dark in the August night and the perspective of Beacon Street, with its double chain of lamps, was a foreshortened desert.
joy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The heat was insufferable and I thought with joy of the morrow, of the deck of the steamer, the freshening breeze, the sense of getting out to sea.
lamps
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE houses were dark in the August night and the perspective of Beacon Street, with its double chain of lamps, was a foreshortened desert.
learned
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I was even glad of what I had learned in the afternoon at the office of the company—that at the eleventh hour an old ship with a lower standard of speed had been put on in place of the vessel in which I had taken my passage.
leisure
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As “every one” was out of town perhaps the servants, in the extravagance of their leisure, were profaning the tables.
lower
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I was even glad of what I had learned in the afternoon at the office of the company—that at the eleventh hour an old ship with a lower standard of speed had been put on in place of the vessel in which I had taken my passage.
morrow
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The heat was insufferable and I thought with joy of the morrow, of the deck of the steamer, the freshening breeze, the sense of getting out to sea.
mydeterminerUS /maɪ/
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading I was even glad of what I had learned in the afternoon at the office of the company—that at the eleventh hour an old ship with a lower standard of speed had been put on in place of the vessel in which I had taken my passage.
night
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE houses were dark in the August night and the perspective of Beacon Street, with its double chain of lamps, was a foreshortened desert.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE houses were dark in the August night and the perspective of Beacon Street, with its double chain of lamps, was a foreshortened desert.
office
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I was even glad of what I had learned in the afternoon at the office of the company—that at the eleventh hour an old ship with a lower standard of speed had been put on in place of the vessel in which I had taken my passage.
old
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I was even glad of what I had learned in the afternoon at the office of the company—that at the eleventh hour an old ship with a lower standard of speed had been put on in place of the vessel in which I had taken my passage.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The club on the hill alone, from its semi-cylindrical front, projected a glow upon the dusky vagueness of the Common, and as I passed it I heard in the hot stillness the click of a pair of billiard-balls.
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading As “every one” was out of town perhaps the servants, in the extravagance of their leisure, were profaning the tables.
out
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As “every one” was out of town perhaps the servants, in the extravagance of their leisure, were profaning the tables.
pair
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The club on the hill alone, from its semi-cylindrical front, projected a glow upon the dusky vagueness of the Common, and as I passed it I heard in the hot stillness the click of a pair of billiard-balls.
passagenounUS /ˈpassage/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading I was even glad of what I had learned in the afternoon at the office of the company—that at the eleventh hour an old ship with a lower standard of speed had been put on in place of the vessel in which I had taken my passage.
passednounUS /passed/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The club on the hill alone, from its semi-cylindrical front, projected a glow upon the dusky vagueness of the Common, and as I passed it I heard in the hot stillness the click of a pair of billiard-balls.
perhaps
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As “every one” was out of town perhaps the servants, in the extravagance of their leisure, were profaning the tables.
perspective
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE houses were dark in the August night and the perspective of Beacon Street, with its double chain of lamps, was a foreshortened desert.
place
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I was even glad of what I had learned in the afternoon at the office of the company—that at the eleventh hour an old ship with a lower standard of speed had been put on in place of the vessel in which I had taken my passage.
profaning
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As “every one” was out of town perhaps the servants, in the extravagance of their leisure, were profaning the tables.
projected
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The club on the hill alone, from its semi-cylindrical front, projected a glow upon the dusky vagueness of the Common, and as I passed it I heard in the hot stillness the click of a pair of billiard-balls.
put
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I was even glad of what I had learned in the afternoon at the office of the company—that at the eleventh hour an old ship with a lower standard of speed had been put on in place of the vessel in which I had taken my passage.
sea
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The heat was insufferable and I thought with joy of the morrow, of the deck of the steamer, the freshening breeze, the sense of getting out to sea.
semi-cylindrical
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The club on the hill alone, from its semi-cylindrical front, projected a glow upon the dusky vagueness of the Common, and as I passed it I heard in the hot stillness the click of a pair of billiard-balls.
sense
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The heat was insufferable and I thought with joy of the morrow, of the deck of the steamer, the freshening breeze, the sense of getting out to sea.
servants
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As “every one” was out of town perhaps the servants, in the extravagance of their leisure, were profaning the tables.
shipnounUS /ship/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading I was even glad of what I had learned in the afternoon at the office of the company—that at the eleventh hour an old ship with a lower standard of speed had been put on in place of the vessel in which I had taken my passage.
speed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I was even glad of what I had learned in the afternoon at the office of the company—that at the eleventh hour an old ship with a lower standard of speed had been put on in place of the vessel in which I had taken my passage.
standard
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I was even glad of what I had learned in the afternoon at the office of the company—that at the eleventh hour an old ship with a lower standard of speed had been put on in place of the vessel in which I had taken my passage.
steamer
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The heat was insufferable and I thought with joy of the morrow, of the deck of the steamer, the freshening breeze, the sense of getting out to sea.
stillness
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The club on the hill alone, from its semi-cylindrical front, projected a glow upon the dusky vagueness of the Common, and as I passed it I heard in the hot stillness the click of a pair of billiard-balls.
Street
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE houses were dark in the August night and the perspective of Beacon Street, with its double chain of lamps, was a foreshortened desert.
tables
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As “every one” was out of town perhaps the servants, in the extravagance of their leisure, were profaning the tables.
taken
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I was even glad of what I had learned in the afternoon at the office of the company—that at the eleventh hour an old ship with a lower standard of speed had been put on in place of the vessel in which I had taken my passage.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading I was even glad of what I had learned in the afternoon at the office of the company—that at the eleventh hour an old ship with a lower standard of speed had been put on in place of the vessel in which I had taken my passage.
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE houses were dark in the August night and the perspective of Beacon Street, with its double chain of lamps, was a foreshortened desert.
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading As “every one” was out of town perhaps the servants, in the extravagance of their leisure, were profaning the tables.
thoughtnounUS /thought/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The heat was insufferable and I thought with joy of the morrow, of the deck of the steamer, the freshening breeze, the sense of getting out to sea.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The heat was insufferable and I thought with joy of the morrow, of the deck of the steamer, the freshening breeze, the sense of getting out to sea.
town
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As “every one” was out of town perhaps the servants, in the extravagance of their leisure, were profaning the tables.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading The club on the hill alone, from its semi-cylindrical front, projected a glow upon the dusky vagueness of the Common, and as I passed it I heard in the hot stillness the click of a pair of billiard-balls.
vagueness
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The club on the hill alone, from its semi-cylindrical front, projected a glow upon the dusky vagueness of the Common, and as I passed it I heard in the hot stillness the click of a pair of billiard-balls.
vessel
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I was even glad of what I had learned in the afternoon at the office of the company—that at the eleventh hour an old ship with a lower standard of speed had been put on in place of the vessel in which I had taken my passage.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading THE houses were dark in the August night and the perspective of Beacon Street, with its double chain of lamps, was a foreshortened desert.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading THE houses were dark in the August night and the perspective of Beacon Street, with its double chain of lamps, was a foreshortened desert.
whatpronounUS /wʌt/
used to ask for information about something
From this reading I was even glad of what I had learned in the afternoon at the office of the company—that at the eleventh hour an old ship with a lower standard of speed had been put on in place of the vessel in which I had taken my passage.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading I was even glad of what I had learned in the afternoon at the office of the company—that at the eleventh hour an old ship with a lower standard of speed had been put on in place of the vessel in which I had taken my passage.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading THE houses were dark in the August night and the perspective of Beacon Street, with its double chain of lamps, was a foreshortened desert.
