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 Reginald, in his own eyes, was a thoroughly miserable man.
admired
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Olympias was the only person who admired him nearly as much as he did himself.
altar
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He missed Olympias sadly, for as the Earl had once jestingly remarked, she burnt perpetual incense on his altar, and flattery was a necessary of life to Reginald.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He had nobody to talk with, and nothing to do.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading He missed Olympias sadly, for as the Earl had once jestingly remarked, she burnt perpetual incense on his altar, and flattery was a necessary of life to Reginald.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Like the old Romans, _partem et circenses_ constituted his list of indispensables; and had it been inevitable to dispense with one of them for a time, Reginald would have resigned the bread rather than the game.
bread
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Like the old Romans, _partem et circenses_ constituted his list of indispensables; and had it been inevitable to dispense with one of them for a time, Reginald would have resigned the bread rather than the game.
burnt
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He missed Olympias sadly, for as the Earl had once jestingly remarked, she burnt perpetual incense on his altar, and flattery was a necessary of life to Reginald.
circenses
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Like the old Romans, _partem et circenses_ constituted his list of indispensables; and had it been inevitable to dispense with one of them for a time, Reginald would have resigned the bread rather than the game.
constituted
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Like the old Romans, _partem et circenses_ constituted his list of indispensables; and had it been inevitable to dispense with one of them for a time, Reginald would have resigned the bread rather than the game.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading Olympias was the only person who admired him nearly as much as he did himself.
dispense
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Like the old Romans, _partem et circenses_ constituted his list of indispensables; and had it been inevitable to dispense with one of them for a time, Reginald would have resigned the bread rather than the game.
doauxiliary verbUS /duː/
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading He had nobody to talk with, and nothing to do.
Earl
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He missed Olympias sadly, for as the Earl had once jestingly remarked, she burnt perpetual incense on his altar, and flattery was a necessary of life to Reginald.
et
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Like the old Romans, _partem et circenses_ constituted his list of indispensables; and had it been inevitable to dispense with one of them for a time, Reginald would have resigned the bread rather than the game.
eyes
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Reginald, in his own eyes, was a thoroughly miserable man.
flattery
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He missed Olympias sadly, for as the Earl had once jestingly remarked, she burnt perpetual incense on his altar, and flattery was a necessary of life to Reginald.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading He missed Olympias sadly, for as the Earl had once jestingly remarked, she burnt perpetual incense on his altar, and flattery was a necessary of life to Reginald.
game
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Like the old Romans, _partem et circenses_ constituted his list of indispensables; and had it been inevitable to dispense with one of them for a time, Reginald would have resigned the bread rather than the game.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He had nobody to talk with, and nothing to do.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Like the old Romans, _partem et circenses_ constituted his list of indispensables; and had it been inevitable to dispense with one of them for a time, Reginald would have resigned the bread rather than the game.
HepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He had nobody to talk with, and nothing to do.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Olympias was the only person who admired him nearly as much as he did himself.
himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading Olympias was the only person who admired him nearly as much as he did himself.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Reginald, in his own eyes, was a thoroughly miserable man.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Reginald, in his own eyes, was a thoroughly miserable man.
incense
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He missed Olympias sadly, for as the Earl had once jestingly remarked, she burnt perpetual incense on his altar, and flattery was a necessary of life to Reginald.
indispensables
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Like the old Romans, _partem et circenses_ constituted his list of indispensables; and had it been inevitable to dispense with one of them for a time, Reginald would have resigned the bread rather than the game.
inevitable
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Like the old Romans, _partem et circenses_ constituted his list of indispensables; and had it been inevitable to dispense with one of them for a time, Reginald would have resigned the bread rather than the game.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Like the old Romans, _partem et circenses_ constituted his list of indispensables; and had it been inevitable to dispense with one of them for a time, Reginald would have resigned the bread rather than the game.
jestingly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He missed Olympias sadly, for as the Earl had once jestingly remarked, she burnt perpetual incense on his altar, and flattery was a necessary of life to Reginald.
lifenounUS /life/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading He missed Olympias sadly, for as the Earl had once jestingly remarked, she burnt perpetual incense on his altar, and flattery was a necessary of life to Reginald.
Like
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Like the old Romans, _partem et circenses_ constituted his list of indispensables; and had it been inevitable to dispense with one of them for a time, Reginald would have resigned the bread rather than the game.
list
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Like the old Romans, _partem et circenses_ constituted his list of indispensables; and had it been inevitable to dispense with one of them for a time, Reginald would have resigned the bread rather than the game.
man
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Reginald, in his own eyes, was a thoroughly miserable man.
miserable
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Reginald, in his own eyes, was a thoroughly miserable man.
missed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He missed Olympias sadly, for as the Earl had once jestingly remarked, she burnt perpetual incense on his altar, and flattery was a necessary of life to Reginald.
much
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Olympias was the only person who admired him nearly as much as he did himself.
nearly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Olympias was the only person who admired him nearly as much as he did himself.
necessary
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He missed Olympias sadly, for as the Earl had once jestingly remarked, she burnt perpetual incense on his altar, and flattery was a necessary of life to Reginald.
nobodypronounUS /ˈnoʊbɑːdiː/
no person; not anyone
From this reading He had nobody to talk with, and nothing to do.
nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/
not one thing; not anything
From this reading He had nobody to talk with, and nothing to do.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He missed Olympias sadly, for as the Earl had once jestingly remarked, she burnt perpetual incense on his altar, and flattery was a necessary of life to Reginald.
old
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Like the old Romans, _partem et circenses_ constituted his list of indispensables; and had it been inevitable to dispense with one of them for a time, Reginald would have resigned the bread rather than the game.
Olympias
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He missed Olympias sadly, for as the Earl had once jestingly remarked, she burnt perpetual incense on his altar, and flattery was a necessary of life to Reginald.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading He missed Olympias sadly, for as the Earl had once jestingly remarked, she burnt perpetual incense on his altar, and flattery was a necessary of life to Reginald.
once
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He missed Olympias sadly, for as the Earl had once jestingly remarked, she burnt perpetual incense on his altar, and flattery was a necessary of life to Reginald.
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Like the old Romans, _partem et circenses_ constituted his list of indispensables; and had it been inevitable to dispense with one of them for a time, Reginald would have resigned the bread rather than the game.
only
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Olympias was the only person who admired him nearly as much as he did himself.
own
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Reginald, in his own eyes, was a thoroughly miserable man.
partem
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Like the old Romans, _partem et circenses_ constituted his list of indispensables; and had it been inevitable to dispense with one of them for a time, Reginald would have resigned the bread rather than the game.
perpetual
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He missed Olympias sadly, for as the Earl had once jestingly remarked, she burnt perpetual incense on his altar, and flattery was a necessary of life to Reginald.
person
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Olympias was the only person who admired him nearly as much as he did himself.
rather
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Like the old Romans, _partem et circenses_ constituted his list of indispensables; and had it been inevitable to dispense with one of them for a time, Reginald would have resigned the bread rather than the game.
Reginald
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Reginald, in his own eyes, was a thoroughly miserable man.
remarked
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He missed Olympias sadly, for as the Earl had once jestingly remarked, she burnt perpetual incense on his altar, and flattery was a necessary of life to Reginald.
resigned
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Like the old Romans, _partem et circenses_ constituted his list of indispensables; and had it been inevitable to dispense with one of them for a time, Reginald would have resigned the bread rather than the game.
Romans
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Like the old Romans, _partem et circenses_ constituted his list of indispensables; and had it been inevitable to dispense with one of them for a time, Reginald would have resigned the bread rather than the game.
sadly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He missed Olympias sadly, for as the Earl had once jestingly remarked, she burnt perpetual incense on his altar, and flattery was a necessary of life to Reginald.
shepronounUS /ʃiː/
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He missed Olympias sadly, for as the Earl had once jestingly remarked, she burnt perpetual incense on his altar, and flattery was a necessary of life to Reginald.
talk
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had nobody to talk with, and nothing to do.
thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Like the old Romans, _partem et circenses_ constituted his list of indispensables; and had it been inevitable to dispense with one of them for a time, Reginald would have resigned the bread rather than the game.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He missed Olympias sadly, for as the Earl had once jestingly remarked, she burnt perpetual incense on his altar, and flattery was a necessary of life to Reginald.
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Like the old Romans, _partem et circenses_ constituted his list of indispensables; and had it been inevitable to dispense with one of them for a time, Reginald would have resigned the bread rather than the game.
thoroughly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Reginald, in his own eyes, was a thoroughly miserable man.
timenounUS /time/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Like the old Romans, _partem et circenses_ constituted his list of indispensables; and had it been inevitable to dispense with one of them for a time, Reginald would have resigned the bread rather than the game.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He had nobody to talk with, and nothing to do.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Reginald, in his own eyes, was a thoroughly miserable man.
whopronounUS /huː/
which person or people
From this reading Olympias was the only person who admired him nearly as much as he did himself.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading He had nobody to talk with, and nothing to do.
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Like the old Romans, _partem et circenses_ constituted his list of indispensables; and had it been inevitable to dispense with one of them for a time, Reginald would have resigned the bread rather than the game.
