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 maid was a young woman of great natural calmness; she was accustomed to let in visitors who had this air of being annoyed and finding one umbrella too numerous for them.
accustomed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The maid was a young woman of great natural calmness; she was accustomed to let in visitors who had this air of being annoyed and finding one umbrella too numerous for them.
air
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From this reading The maid was a young woman of great natural calmness; she was accustomed to let in visitors who had this air of being annoyed and finding one umbrella too numerous for them.
Almost
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From this reading Almost imperceptibly she relieved him of his umbrella and juggled his hat and coat on to a massive mahogany stand.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading It mattered nothing to her that the gentleman was asking for Dr. Martineau as if he was asking for something with an unpleasant taste.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The maid was a young woman of great natural calmness; she was accustomed to let in visitors who had this air of being annoyed and finding one umbrella too numerous for them.
annoyed
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From this reading The maid was a young woman of great natural calmness; she was accustomed to let in visitors who had this air of being annoyed and finding one umbrella too numerous for them.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading It mattered nothing to her that the gentleman was asking for Dr. Martineau as if he was asking for something with an unpleasant taste.
askednounUS /asked/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “What name, Sir?” she asked, holding open the door of the consulting room.
asking
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It mattered nothing to her that the gentleman was asking for Dr. Martineau as if he was asking for something with an unpleasant taste.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading The maid was a young woman of great natural calmness; she was accustomed to let in visitors who had this air of being annoyed and finding one umbrella too numerous for them.
calmness
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The maid was a young woman of great natural calmness; she was accustomed to let in visitors who had this air of being annoyed and finding one umbrella too numerous for them.
coat
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Almost imperceptibly she relieved him of his umbrella and juggled his hat and coat on to a massive mahogany stand.
consulting
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From this reading “What name, Sir?” she asked, holding open the door of the consulting room.
distasteful
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Hardy,” said the gentleman, and then yielding it reluctantly with its distasteful three-year-old honour, “Sir Richmond Hardy.”
door
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “What name, Sir?” she asked, holding open the door of the consulting room.
Dr
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It mattered nothing to her that the gentleman was asking for Dr. Martineau as if he was asking for something with an unpleasant taste.
finding
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From this reading The maid was a young woman of great natural calmness; she was accustomed to let in visitors who had this air of being annoyed and finding one umbrella too numerous for them.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The maid was a young woman of great natural calmness; she was accustomed to let in visitors who had this air of being annoyed and finding one umbrella too numerous for them.
gentlemannounUS /ˈgentleman/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading It mattered nothing to her that the gentleman was asking for Dr. Martineau as if he was asking for something with an unpleasant taste.
greatnounUS /great/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The maid was a young woman of great natural calmness; she was accustomed to let in visitors who had this air of being annoyed and finding one umbrella too numerous for them.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The maid was a young woman of great natural calmness; she was accustomed to let in visitors who had this air of being annoyed and finding one umbrella too numerous for them.
Hardy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Hardy,” said the gentleman, and then yielding it reluctantly with its distasteful three-year-old honour, “Sir Richmond Hardy.”
hat
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Almost imperceptibly she relieved him of his umbrella and juggled his hat and coat on to a massive mahogany stand.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading It mattered nothing to her that the gentleman was asking for Dr. Martineau as if he was asking for something with an unpleasant taste.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading It mattered nothing to her that the gentleman was asking for Dr. Martineau as if he was asking for something with an unpleasant taste.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Almost imperceptibly she relieved him of his umbrella and juggled his hat and coat on to a massive mahogany stand.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Almost imperceptibly she relieved him of his umbrella and juggled his hat and coat on to a massive mahogany stand.
holding
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “What name, Sir?” she asked, holding open the door of the consulting room.
honour
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Hardy,” said the gentleman, and then yielding it reluctantly with its distasteful three-year-old honour, “Sir Richmond Hardy.”
ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading It mattered nothing to her that the gentleman was asking for Dr. Martineau as if he was asking for something with an unpleasant taste.
imperceptibly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Almost imperceptibly she relieved him of his umbrella and juggled his hat and coat on to a massive mahogany stand.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The maid was a young woman of great natural calmness; she was accustomed to let in visitors who had this air of being annoyed and finding one umbrella too numerous for them.
ItpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It mattered nothing to her that the gentleman was asking for Dr. Martineau as if he was asking for something with an unpleasant taste.
itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading “Hardy,” said the gentleman, and then yielding it reluctantly with its distasteful three-year-old honour, “Sir Richmond Hardy.”
juggled
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Almost imperceptibly she relieved him of his umbrella and juggled his hat and coat on to a massive mahogany stand.
letauxiliary verbUS /let/
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading The maid was a young woman of great natural calmness; she was accustomed to let in visitors who had this air of being annoyed and finding one umbrella too numerous for them.
mahogany
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Almost imperceptibly she relieved him of his umbrella and juggled his hat and coat on to a massive mahogany stand.
maid
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The maid was a young woman of great natural calmness; she was accustomed to let in visitors who had this air of being annoyed and finding one umbrella too numerous for them.
Martineau
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It mattered nothing to her that the gentleman was asking for Dr. Martineau as if he was asking for something with an unpleasant taste.
massive
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Almost imperceptibly she relieved him of his umbrella and juggled his hat and coat on to a massive mahogany stand.
mattered
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It mattered nothing to her that the gentleman was asking for Dr. Martineau as if he was asking for something with an unpleasant taste.
namenounUS /name/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “What name, Sir?” she asked, holding open the door of the consulting room.
natural
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The maid was a young woman of great natural calmness; she was accustomed to let in visitors who had this air of being annoyed and finding one umbrella too numerous for them.
nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/
not one thing; not anything
From this reading It mattered nothing to her that the gentleman was asking for Dr. Martineau as if he was asking for something with an unpleasant taste.
numerous
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The maid was a young woman of great natural calmness; she was accustomed to let in visitors who had this air of being annoyed and finding one umbrella too numerous for them.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The maid was a young woman of great natural calmness; she was accustomed to let in visitors who had this air of being annoyed and finding one umbrella too numerous for them.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Almost imperceptibly she relieved him of his umbrella and juggled his hat and coat on to a massive mahogany stand.
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading The maid was a young woman of great natural calmness; she was accustomed to let in visitors who had this air of being annoyed and finding one umbrella too numerous for them.
openverbUS /ˈoʊ.pən/
To move from a closed position.
From this reading “What name, Sir?” she asked, holding open the door of the consulting room.
relievednounUS /ˈrelieved/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading Almost imperceptibly she relieved him of his umbrella and juggled his hat and coat on to a massive mahogany stand.
reluctantly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Hardy,” said the gentleman, and then yielding it reluctantly with its distasteful three-year-old honour, “Sir Richmond Hardy.”
Richmond
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Hardy,” said the gentleman, and then yielding it reluctantly with its distasteful three-year-old honour, “Sir Richmond Hardy.”
room
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “What name, Sir?” she asked, holding open the door of the consulting room.
said
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Hardy,” said the gentleman, and then yielding it reluctantly with its distasteful three-year-old honour, “Sir Richmond Hardy.”
shepronounUS /ʃiː/
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The maid was a young woman of great natural calmness; she was accustomed to let in visitors who had this air of being annoyed and finding one umbrella too numerous for them.
Sir
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “What name, Sir?” she asked, holding open the door of the consulting room.
somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/
a thing, without saying which
From this reading It mattered nothing to her that the gentleman was asking for Dr. Martineau as if he was asking for something with an unpleasant taste.
stand
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Almost imperceptibly she relieved him of his umbrella and juggled his hat and coat on to a massive mahogany stand.
tasteverbUS /teɪst/
To perceive flavor through the mouth.
From this reading It mattered nothing to her that the gentleman was asking for Dr. Martineau as if he was asking for something with an unpleasant taste.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It mattered nothing to her that the gentleman was asking for Dr. Martineau as if he was asking for something with an unpleasant taste.
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The maid was a young woman of great natural calmness; she was accustomed to let in visitors who had this air of being annoyed and finding one umbrella too numerous for them.
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading The maid was a young woman of great natural calmness; she was accustomed to let in visitors who had this air of being annoyed and finding one umbrella too numerous for them.
then
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Hardy,” said the gentleman, and then yielding it reluctantly with its distasteful three-year-old honour, “Sir Richmond Hardy.”
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading The maid was a young woman of great natural calmness; she was accustomed to let in visitors who had this air of being annoyed and finding one umbrella too numerous for them.
three-year-old
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Hardy,” said the gentleman, and then yielding it reluctantly with its distasteful three-year-old honour, “Sir Richmond Hardy.”
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The maid was a young woman of great natural calmness; she was accustomed to let in visitors who had this air of being annoyed and finding one umbrella too numerous for them.
too
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The maid was a young woman of great natural calmness; she was accustomed to let in visitors who had this air of being annoyed and finding one umbrella too numerous for them.
umbrella
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The maid was a young woman of great natural calmness; she was accustomed to let in visitors who had this air of being annoyed and finding one umbrella too numerous for them.
unpleasant
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It mattered nothing to her that the gentleman was asking for Dr. Martineau as if he was asking for something with an unpleasant taste.
visitors
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The maid was a young woman of great natural calmness; she was accustomed to let in visitors who had this air of being annoyed and finding one umbrella too numerous for them.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The maid was a young woman of great natural calmness; she was accustomed to let in visitors who had this air of being annoyed and finding one umbrella too numerous for them.
WhatpronounUS /wʌt/
used to ask for information about something
From this reading “What name, Sir?” she asked, holding open the door of the consulting room.
whopronounUS /huː/
which person or people
From this reading The maid was a young woman of great natural calmness; she was accustomed to let in visitors who had this air of being annoyed and finding one umbrella too numerous for them.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading It mattered nothing to her that the gentleman was asking for Dr. Martineau as if he was asking for something with an unpleasant taste.
woman
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The maid was a young woman of great natural calmness; she was accustomed to let in visitors who had this air of being annoyed and finding one umbrella too numerous for them.
yielding
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Hardy,” said the gentleman, and then yielding it reluctantly with its distasteful three-year-old honour, “Sir Richmond Hardy.”
young
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The maid was a young woman of great natural calmness; she was accustomed to let in visitors who had this air of being annoyed and finding one umbrella too numerous for them.
