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 “Empty words, after all,” Zéphirine remarked to Francis, “and love is a poem that we live.”
addressing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I would give, I don’t know how much, to see Naïs’ pride brought down a bit,” said Amélie, addressing Châtelet.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading “Empty words, after all,” Zéphirine remarked to Francis, “and love is a poem that we live.”
all
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Empty words, after all,” Zéphirine remarked to Francis, “and love is a poem that we live.”
Amélie
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I would give, I don’t know how much, to see Naïs’ pride brought down a bit,” said Amélie, addressing Châtelet.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading “Naïs sets up to be an archangel, as if she were better than the rest of us, and mixes us up with low people; his father was an apothecary, and his mother is a nurse; his sister works in a laundry, and he himself is a printer’s foreman.”
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “Empty words, after all,” Zéphirine remarked to Francis, “and love is a poem that we live.”
apothecary
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Naïs sets up to be an archangel, as if she were better than the rest of us, and mixes us up with low people; his father was an apothecary, and his mother is a nurse; his sister works in a laundry, and he himself is a printer’s foreman.”
archangel
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Naïs sets up to be an archangel, as if she were better than the rest of us, and mixes us up with low people; his father was an apothecary, and his mother is a nurse; his sister works in a laundry, and he himself is a printer’s foreman.”
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading “Naïs sets up to be an archangel, as if she were better than the rest of us, and mixes us up with low people; his father was an apothecary, and his mother is a nurse; his sister works in a laundry, and he himself is a printer’s foreman.”
attention
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “You have just expressed the very thing that I was thinking, Zizine, but I should not have put it so neatly,” said Stanislas, scanning himself from top to toe with loving attention.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading “Naïs sets up to be an archangel, as if she were better than the rest of us, and mixes us up with low people; his father was an apothecary, and his mother is a nurse; his sister works in a laundry, and he himself is a printer’s foreman.”
better
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Naïs sets up to be an archangel, as if she were better than the rest of us, and mixes us up with low people; his father was an apothecary, and his mother is a nurse; his sister works in a laundry, and he himself is a printer’s foreman.”
biscuits
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “If his father sold biscuits for worms” (_vers_), said Jacques, “he ought to have made his son take them.”
bit
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I would give, I don’t know how much, to see Naïs’ pride brought down a bit,” said Amélie, addressing Châtelet.
broughtnounUS /ˈbrought/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading “I would give, I don’t know how much, to see Naïs’ pride brought down a bit,” said Amélie, addressing Châtelet.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading “You have just expressed the very thing that I was thinking, Zizine, but I should not have put it so neatly,” said Stanislas, scanning himself from top to toe with loving attention.
Châtelet
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I would give, I don’t know how much, to see Naïs’ pride brought down a bit,” said Amélie, addressing Châtelet.
don't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I would give, I don’t know how much, to see Naïs’ pride brought down a bit,” said Amélie, addressing Châtelet.
down
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I would give, I don’t know how much, to see Naïs’ pride brought down a bit,” said Amélie, addressing Châtelet.
Empty
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Empty words, after all,” Zéphirine remarked to Francis, “and love is a poem that we live.”
expressed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “You have just expressed the very thing that I was thinking, Zizine, but I should not have put it so neatly,” said Stanislas, scanning himself from top to toe with loving attention.
father
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Naïs sets up to be an archangel, as if she were better than the rest of us, and mixes us up with low people; his father was an apothecary, and his mother is a nurse; his sister works in a laundry, and he himself is a printer’s foreman.”
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading “If his father sold biscuits for worms” (_vers_), said Jacques, “he ought to have made his son take them.”
foreman
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Naïs sets up to be an archangel, as if she were better than the rest of us, and mixes us up with low people; his father was an apothecary, and his mother is a nurse; his sister works in a laundry, and he himself is a printer’s foreman.”
Francis
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Empty words, after all,” Zéphirine remarked to Francis, “and love is a poem that we live.”
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading “You have just expressed the very thing that I was thinking, Zizine, but I should not have put it so neatly,” said Stanislas, scanning himself from top to toe with loving attention.
give
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I would give, I don’t know how much, to see Naïs’ pride brought down a bit,” said Amélie, addressing Châtelet.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading “You have just expressed the very thing that I was thinking, Zizine, but I should not have put it so neatly,” said Stanislas, scanning himself from top to toe with loving attention.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “Naïs sets up to be an archangel, as if she were better than the rest of us, and mixes us up with low people; his father was an apothecary, and his mother is a nurse; his sister works in a laundry, and he himself is a printer’s foreman.”
himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading “You have just expressed the very thing that I was thinking, Zizine, but I should not have put it so neatly,” said Stanislas, scanning himself from top to toe with loving attention.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading “Naïs sets up to be an archangel, as if she were better than the rest of us, and mixes us up with low people; his father was an apothecary, and his mother is a nurse; his sister works in a laundry, and he himself is a printer’s foreman.”
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I would give, I don’t know how much, to see Naïs’ pride brought down a bit,” said Amélie, addressing Châtelet.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “You have just expressed the very thing that I was thinking, Zizine, but I should not have put it so neatly,” said Stanislas, scanning himself from top to toe with loving attention.
ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading “Naïs sets up to be an archangel, as if she were better than the rest of us, and mixes us up with low people; his father was an apothecary, and his mother is a nurse; his sister works in a laundry, and he himself is a printer’s foreman.”
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading “Naïs sets up to be an archangel, as if she were better than the rest of us, and mixes us up with low people; his father was an apothecary, and his mother is a nurse; his sister works in a laundry, and he himself is a printer’s foreman.”
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “Empty words, after all,” Zéphirine remarked to Francis, “and love is a poem that we live.”
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “You have just expressed the very thing that I was thinking, Zizine, but I should not have put it so neatly,” said Stanislas, scanning himself from top to toe with loving attention.
Jacques
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “If his father sold biscuits for worms” (_vers_), said Jacques, “he ought to have made his son take them.”
just
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “You have just expressed the very thing that I was thinking, Zizine, but I should not have put it so neatly,” said Stanislas, scanning himself from top to toe with loving attention.
knownounUS /know/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “I would give, I don’t know how much, to see Naïs’ pride brought down a bit,” said Amélie, addressing Châtelet.
laundry
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Naïs sets up to be an archangel, as if she were better than the rest of us, and mixes us up with low people; his father was an apothecary, and his mother is a nurse; his sister works in a laundry, and he himself is a printer’s foreman.”
live
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Empty words, after all,” Zéphirine remarked to Francis, “and love is a poem that we live.”
love
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Empty words, after all,” Zéphirine remarked to Francis, “and love is a poem that we live.”
loving
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “You have just expressed the very thing that I was thinking, Zizine, but I should not have put it so neatly,” said Stanislas, scanning himself from top to toe with loving attention.
low
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Naïs sets up to be an archangel, as if she were better than the rest of us, and mixes us up with low people; his father was an apothecary, and his mother is a nurse; his sister works in a laundry, and he himself is a printer’s foreman.”
made
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “If his father sold biscuits for worms” (_vers_), said Jacques, “he ought to have made his son take them.”
mixes
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Naïs sets up to be an archangel, as if she were better than the rest of us, and mixes us up with low people; his father was an apothecary, and his mother is a nurse; his sister works in a laundry, and he himself is a printer’s foreman.”
mother
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Naïs sets up to be an archangel, as if she were better than the rest of us, and mixes us up with low people; his father was an apothecary, and his mother is a nurse; his sister works in a laundry, and he himself is a printer’s foreman.”
much
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I would give, I don’t know how much, to see Naïs’ pride brought down a bit,” said Amélie, addressing Châtelet.
Naïs
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I would give, I don’t know how much, to see Naïs’ pride brought down a bit,” said Amélie, addressing Châtelet.
neatly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “You have just expressed the very thing that I was thinking, Zizine, but I should not have put it so neatly,” said Stanislas, scanning himself from top to toe with loving attention.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading “You have just expressed the very thing that I was thinking, Zizine, but I should not have put it so neatly,” said Stanislas, scanning himself from top to toe with loving attention.
nurse
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Naïs sets up to be an archangel, as if she were better than the rest of us, and mixes us up with low people; his father was an apothecary, and his mother is a nurse; his sister works in a laundry, and he himself is a printer’s foreman.”
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “Naïs sets up to be an archangel, as if she were better than the rest of us, and mixes us up with low people; his father was an apothecary, and his mother is a nurse; his sister works in a laundry, and he himself is a printer’s foreman.”
oughtmodal verbUS /ɔːt/
used with “to” to say what is right or advisable
From this reading “If his father sold biscuits for worms” (_vers_), said Jacques, “he ought to have made his son take them.”
people
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Naïs sets up to be an archangel, as if she were better than the rest of us, and mixes us up with low people; his father was an apothecary, and his mother is a nurse; his sister works in a laundry, and he himself is a printer’s foreman.”
poem
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Empty words, after all,” Zéphirine remarked to Francis, “and love is a poem that we live.”
pride
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I would give, I don’t know how much, to see Naïs’ pride brought down a bit,” said Amélie, addressing Châtelet.
printer's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Naïs sets up to be an archangel, as if she were better than the rest of us, and mixes us up with low people; his father was an apothecary, and his mother is a nurse; his sister works in a laundry, and he himself is a printer’s foreman.”
put
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “You have just expressed the very thing that I was thinking, Zizine, but I should not have put it so neatly,” said Stanislas, scanning himself from top to toe with loving attention.
remarked
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Empty words, after all,” Zéphirine remarked to Francis, “and love is a poem that we live.”
restnounUS /rest/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “Naïs sets up to be an archangel, as if she were better than the rest of us, and mixes us up with low people; his father was an apothecary, and his mother is a nurse; his sister works in a laundry, and he himself is a printer’s foreman.”
said
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “You have just expressed the very thing that I was thinking, Zizine, but I should not have put it so neatly,” said Stanislas, scanning himself from top to toe with loving attention.
scanning
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “You have just expressed the very thing that I was thinking, Zizine, but I should not have put it so neatly,” said Stanislas, scanning himself from top to toe with loving attention.
see
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I would give, I don’t know how much, to see Naïs’ pride brought down a bit,” said Amélie, addressing Châtelet.
sets
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Naïs sets up to be an archangel, as if she were better than the rest of us, and mixes us up with low people; his father was an apothecary, and his mother is a nurse; his sister works in a laundry, and he himself is a printer’s foreman.”
shepronounUS /ʃiː/
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “Naïs sets up to be an archangel, as if she were better than the rest of us, and mixes us up with low people; his father was an apothecary, and his mother is a nurse; his sister works in a laundry, and he himself is a printer’s foreman.”
shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading “You have just expressed the very thing that I was thinking, Zizine, but I should not have put it so neatly,” said Stanislas, scanning himself from top to toe with loving attention.
sister
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Naïs sets up to be an archangel, as if she were better than the rest of us, and mixes us up with low people; his father was an apothecary, and his mother is a nurse; his sister works in a laundry, and he himself is a printer’s foreman.”
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading “You have just expressed the very thing that I was thinking, Zizine, but I should not have put it so neatly,” said Stanislas, scanning himself from top to toe with loving attention.
sold
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “If his father sold biscuits for worms” (_vers_), said Jacques, “he ought to have made his son take them.”
son
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “If his father sold biscuits for worms” (_vers_), said Jacques, “he ought to have made his son take them.”
Stanislas
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “You have just expressed the very thing that I was thinking, Zizine, but I should not have put it so neatly,” said Stanislas, scanning himself from top to toe with loving attention.
takenounUS /take/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “If his father sold biscuits for worms” (_vers_), said Jacques, “he ought to have made his son take them.”
thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading “Naïs sets up to be an archangel, as if she were better than the rest of us, and mixes us up with low people; his father was an apothecary, and his mother is a nurse; his sister works in a laundry, and he himself is a printer’s foreman.”
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading “Empty words, after all,” Zéphirine remarked to Francis, “and love is a poem that we live.”
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “You have just expressed the very thing that I was thinking, Zizine, but I should not have put it so neatly,” said Stanislas, scanning himself from top to toe with loving attention.
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading “If his father sold biscuits for worms” (_vers_), said Jacques, “he ought to have made his son take them.”
thingnounUS /thing/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “You have just expressed the very thing that I was thinking, Zizine, but I should not have put it so neatly,” said Stanislas, scanning himself from top to toe with loving attention.
thinkingnounUS /thinking/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “You have just expressed the very thing that I was thinking, Zizine, but I should not have put it so neatly,” said Stanislas, scanning himself from top to toe with loving attention.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “Empty words, after all,” Zéphirine remarked to Francis, “and love is a poem that we live.”
toe
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “You have just expressed the very thing that I was thinking, Zizine, but I should not have put it so neatly,” said Stanislas, scanning himself from top to toe with loving attention.
top
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “You have just expressed the very thing that I was thinking, Zizine, but I should not have put it so neatly,” said Stanislas, scanning himself from top to toe with loving attention.
up
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Naïs sets up to be an archangel, as if she were better than the rest of us, and mixes us up with low people; his father was an apothecary, and his mother is a nurse; his sister works in a laundry, and he himself is a printer’s foreman.”
uspronounUS /ʌs/
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “Naïs sets up to be an archangel, as if she were better than the rest of us, and mixes us up with low people; his father was an apothecary, and his mother is a nurse; his sister works in a laundry, and he himself is a printer’s foreman.”
vers
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “If his father sold biscuits for worms” (_vers_), said Jacques, “he ought to have made his son take them.”
very
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “You have just expressed the very thing that I was thinking, Zizine, but I should not have put it so neatly,” said Stanislas, scanning himself from top to toe with loving attention.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “You have just expressed the very thing that I was thinking, Zizine, but I should not have put it so neatly,” said Stanislas, scanning himself from top to toe with loving attention.
wepronounUS /wiː/
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading “Empty words, after all,” Zéphirine remarked to Francis, “and love is a poem that we live.”
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “Naïs sets up to be an archangel, as if she were better than the rest of us, and mixes us up with low people; his father was an apothecary, and his mother is a nurse; his sister works in a laundry, and he himself is a printer’s foreman.”
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading “You have just expressed the very thing that I was thinking, Zizine, but I should not have put it so neatly,” said Stanislas, scanning himself from top to toe with loving attention.
words
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Empty words, after all,” Zéphirine remarked to Francis, “and love is a poem that we live.”
works
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Naïs sets up to be an archangel, as if she were better than the rest of us, and mixes us up with low people; his father was an apothecary, and his mother is a nurse; his sister works in a laundry, and he himself is a printer’s foreman.”
worms
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “If his father sold biscuits for worms” (_vers_), said Jacques, “he ought to have made his son take them.”
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading “I would give, I don’t know how much, to see Naïs’ pride brought down a bit,” said Amélie, addressing Châtelet.
YoupronounUS /juː/
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “You have just expressed the very thing that I was thinking, Zizine, but I should not have put it so neatly,” said Stanislas, scanning himself from top to toe with loving attention.
Zizine
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “You have just expressed the very thing that I was thinking, Zizine, but I should not have put it so neatly,” said Stanislas, scanning himself from top to toe with loving attention.
Zéphirine
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Empty words, after all,” Zéphirine remarked to Francis, “and love is a poem that we live.”
