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 “Thy secret pleasure turns to open shame, Thy private feasting to a public fast, Thy smoothing titles to a ragged name, Thy sugared tongue to bitter wormwood taste.
abettor
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Thou mak’st the vestal violate her oath; Thou blow’st the fire when temperance is thawed; Thou smother’st honesty, thou murder’st troth, Thou foul abettor, thou notorious bawd!
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Thou plantest scandal and displacest laud.
bawd
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Thou mak’st the vestal violate her oath; Thou blow’st the fire when temperance is thawed; Thou smother’st honesty, thou murder’st troth, Thou foul abettor, thou notorious bawd!
bitter
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Thy secret pleasure turns to open shame, Thy private feasting to a public fast, Thy smoothing titles to a ragged name, Thy sugared tongue to bitter wormwood taste.
blow'st
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Thou mak’st the vestal violate her oath; Thou blow’st the fire when temperance is thawed; Thou smother’st honesty, thou murder’st troth, Thou foul abettor, thou notorious bawd!
canmodal verbUS /kæn/
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading Thy violent vanities can never last.
displacest
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Thou plantest scandal and displacest laud.
false
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Thou ravisher, thou traitor, thou false thief, Thy honey turns to gall, thy joy to grief.
fast
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Thy secret pleasure turns to open shame, Thy private feasting to a public fast, Thy smoothing titles to a ragged name, Thy sugared tongue to bitter wormwood taste.
feasting
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Thy secret pleasure turns to open shame, Thy private feasting to a public fast, Thy smoothing titles to a ragged name, Thy sugared tongue to bitter wormwood taste.
fire
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Thou mak’st the vestal violate her oath; Thou blow’st the fire when temperance is thawed; Thou smother’st honesty, thou murder’st troth, Thou foul abettor, thou notorious bawd!
foul
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Thou mak’st the vestal violate her oath; Thou blow’st the fire when temperance is thawed; Thou smother’st honesty, thou murder’st troth, Thou foul abettor, thou notorious bawd!
gallnounUS /ɡɔːl/
bitter feeling and anger; in the story, poison and bitterness
From this reading Thou ravisher, thou traitor, thou false thief, Thy honey turns to gall, thy joy to grief.
grief
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Thou ravisher, thou traitor, thou false thief, Thy honey turns to gall, thy joy to grief.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading “Thou mak’st the vestal violate her oath; Thou blow’st the fire when temperance is thawed; Thou smother’st honesty, thou murder’st troth, Thou foul abettor, thou notorious bawd!
honesty
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Thou mak’st the vestal violate her oath; Thou blow’st the fire when temperance is thawed; Thou smother’st honesty, thou murder’st troth, Thou foul abettor, thou notorious bawd!
honey
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Thou ravisher, thou traitor, thou false thief, Thy honey turns to gall, thy joy to grief.
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “Thou mak’st the vestal violate her oath; Thou blow’st the fire when temperance is thawed; Thou smother’st honesty, thou murder’st troth, Thou foul abettor, thou notorious bawd!
joy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Thou ravisher, thou traitor, thou false thief, Thy honey turns to gall, thy joy to grief.
lastnounUS /last/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Thy violent vanities can never last.
laud
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Thou plantest scandal and displacest laud.
mak'st
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Thou mak’st the vestal violate her oath; Thou blow’st the fire when temperance is thawed; Thou smother’st honesty, thou murder’st troth, Thou foul abettor, thou notorious bawd!
murder'st
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Thou mak’st the vestal violate her oath; Thou blow’st the fire when temperance is thawed; Thou smother’st honesty, thou murder’st troth, Thou foul abettor, thou notorious bawd!
namenounUS /name/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “Thy secret pleasure turns to open shame, Thy private feasting to a public fast, Thy smoothing titles to a ragged name, Thy sugared tongue to bitter wormwood taste.
nevernounUS /never/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Thy violent vanities can never last.
notorious
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Thou mak’st the vestal violate her oath; Thou blow’st the fire when temperance is thawed; Thou smother’st honesty, thou murder’st troth, Thou foul abettor, thou notorious bawd!
oath
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Thou mak’st the vestal violate her oath; Thou blow’st the fire when temperance is thawed; Thou smother’st honesty, thou murder’st troth, Thou foul abettor, thou notorious bawd!
openverbUS /ˈoʊ.pən/
To move from a closed position.
From this reading “Thy secret pleasure turns to open shame, Thy private feasting to a public fast, Thy smoothing titles to a ragged name, Thy sugared tongue to bitter wormwood taste.
plantest
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Thou plantest scandal and displacest laud.
pleasure
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Thy secret pleasure turns to open shame, Thy private feasting to a public fast, Thy smoothing titles to a ragged name, Thy sugared tongue to bitter wormwood taste.
private
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Thy secret pleasure turns to open shame, Thy private feasting to a public fast, Thy smoothing titles to a ragged name, Thy sugared tongue to bitter wormwood taste.
public
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Thy secret pleasure turns to open shame, Thy private feasting to a public fast, Thy smoothing titles to a ragged name, Thy sugared tongue to bitter wormwood taste.
ragged
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Thy secret pleasure turns to open shame, Thy private feasting to a public fast, Thy smoothing titles to a ragged name, Thy sugared tongue to bitter wormwood taste.
ravisher
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Thou ravisher, thou traitor, thou false thief, Thy honey turns to gall, thy joy to grief.
scandal
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Thou plantest scandal and displacest laud.
secretnounUS /ˈsiː.krət/
Something that is kept or meant to be kept unknown or unseen by others.
From this reading “Thy secret pleasure turns to open shame, Thy private feasting to a public fast, Thy smoothing titles to a ragged name, Thy sugared tongue to bitter wormwood taste.
shame
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Thy secret pleasure turns to open shame, Thy private feasting to a public fast, Thy smoothing titles to a ragged name, Thy sugared tongue to bitter wormwood taste.
smoothing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Thy secret pleasure turns to open shame, Thy private feasting to a public fast, Thy smoothing titles to a ragged name, Thy sugared tongue to bitter wormwood taste.
smother'st
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Thou mak’st the vestal violate her oath; Thou blow’st the fire when temperance is thawed; Thou smother’st honesty, thou murder’st troth, Thou foul abettor, thou notorious bawd!
sugared
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Thy secret pleasure turns to open shame, Thy private feasting to a public fast, Thy smoothing titles to a ragged name, Thy sugared tongue to bitter wormwood taste.
tasteverbUS /teɪst/
To perceive flavor through the mouth.
From this reading “Thy secret pleasure turns to open shame, Thy private feasting to a public fast, Thy smoothing titles to a ragged name, Thy sugared tongue to bitter wormwood taste.
temperance
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Thou mak’st the vestal violate her oath; Thou blow’st the fire when temperance is thawed; Thou smother’st honesty, thou murder’st troth, Thou foul abettor, thou notorious bawd!
thawed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Thou mak’st the vestal violate her oath; Thou blow’st the fire when temperance is thawed; Thou smother’st honesty, thou murder’st troth, Thou foul abettor, thou notorious bawd!
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “Thou mak’st the vestal violate her oath; Thou blow’st the fire when temperance is thawed; Thou smother’st honesty, thou murder’st troth, Thou foul abettor, thou notorious bawd!
thief
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Thou ravisher, thou traitor, thou false thief, Thy honey turns to gall, thy joy to grief.
ThoupronounUS /ðaʊ/
an old word for “you”, as the subject, speaking to one person
From this reading “Thou mak’st the vestal violate her oath; Thou blow’st the fire when temperance is thawed; Thou smother’st honesty, thou murder’st troth, Thou foul abettor, thou notorious bawd!
ThydeterminerUS /ðaɪ/
an old word for “your”, speaking to one person
From this reading Thou ravisher, thou traitor, thou false thief, Thy honey turns to gall, thy joy to grief.
titles
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Thy secret pleasure turns to open shame, Thy private feasting to a public fast, Thy smoothing titles to a ragged name, Thy sugared tongue to bitter wormwood taste.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Thou ravisher, thou traitor, thou false thief, Thy honey turns to gall, thy joy to grief.
tonguenounUS /tongue/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “Thy secret pleasure turns to open shame, Thy private feasting to a public fast, Thy smoothing titles to a ragged name, Thy sugared tongue to bitter wormwood taste.
traitor
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Thou ravisher, thou traitor, thou false thief, Thy honey turns to gall, thy joy to grief.
troth
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Thou mak’st the vestal violate her oath; Thou blow’st the fire when temperance is thawed; Thou smother’st honesty, thou murder’st troth, Thou foul abettor, thou notorious bawd!
turns
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Thou ravisher, thou traitor, thou false thief, Thy honey turns to gall, thy joy to grief.
vanities
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Thy violent vanities can never last.
vestal
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Thou mak’st the vestal violate her oath; Thou blow’st the fire when temperance is thawed; Thou smother’st honesty, thou murder’st troth, Thou foul abettor, thou notorious bawd!
violate
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Thou mak’st the vestal violate her oath; Thou blow’st the fire when temperance is thawed; Thou smother’st honesty, thou murder’st troth, Thou foul abettor, thou notorious bawd!
violentnounUS /ˈviolent/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading Thy violent vanities can never last.
whenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading “Thou mak’st the vestal violate her oath; Thou blow’st the fire when temperance is thawed; Thou smother’st honesty, thou murder’st troth, Thou foul abettor, thou notorious bawd!
wormwood
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Thy secret pleasure turns to open shame, Thy private feasting to a public fast, Thy smoothing titles to a ragged name, Thy sugared tongue to bitter wormwood taste.
