adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It was a beautiful autumn day, although, owing to certain climatic peculiarities of Hades, it seemed more like midsummer.
againstprepositionUS /əˈɡenst/
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading The mercury in the club thermometer was nervously clicking against the top of the crystal tube, and poor Cerberus was having all he could do with his three mouths snapping up the pestiferous little shades of by-gone gnats that seemed to take an almost unholy pleasure in alighting upon his various noses and ears.
alighting
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The mercury in the club thermometer was nervously clicking against the top of the crystal tube, and poor Cerberus was having all he could do with his three mouths snapping up the pestiferous little shades of by-gone gnats that seemed to take an almost unholy pleasure in alighting upon his various noses and ears.
alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading The mercury in the club thermometer was nervously clicking against the top of the crystal tube, and poor Cerberus was having all he could do with his three mouths snapping up the pestiferous little shades of by-gone gnats that seemed to take an almost unholy pleasure in alighting upon his various noses and ears.
almostadverbUS /ˈɔːlmoʊst/
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading The mercury in the club thermometer was nervously clicking against the top of the crystal tube, and poor Cerberus was having all he could do with his three mouths snapping up the pestiferous little shades of by-gone gnats that seemed to take an almost unholy pleasure in alighting upon his various noses and ears.
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading Queen Elizabeth, attended by Ophelia and Xanthippe, was walking along the river-bank.
althoughconjunctionUS /ˌɔːlˈðoʊ/
in spite of the fact that
From this reading It was a beautiful autumn day, although, owing to certain climatic peculiarities of Hades, it seemed more like midsummer.
amauxiliary verbUS /æm/
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading "I am sure I have never wished to ride one of them," she said, positively.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading The mercury in the club thermometer was nervously clicking against the top of the crystal tube, and poor Cerberus was having all he could do with his three mouths snapping up the pestiferous little shades of by-gone gnats that seemed to take an almost unholy pleasure in alighting upon his various noses and ears.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Queen Elizabeth, attended by Ophelia and Xanthippe, was walking along the river-bank.
attendedadjectiveUS /əˈtendɪd/
playing or singing with instrumental or vocal accompaniment
From this reading Queen Elizabeth, attended by Ophelia and Xanthippe, was walking along the river-bank.
autumnnounUS /ˈɔːtəm/
the season when the leaves fall from the trees
From this reading It was a beautiful autumn day, although, owing to certain climatic peculiarities of Hades, it seemed more like midsummer.
beautifuladjectiveUS /ˈbjuːtəfəl/
delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration
From this reading It was a beautiful autumn day, although, owing to certain climatic peculiarities of Hades, it seemed more like midsummer.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Queen Elizabeth, attended by Ophelia and Xanthippe, was walking along the river-bank.
by-gone
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The mercury in the club thermometer was nervously clicking against the top of the crystal tube, and poor Cerberus was having all he could do with his three mouths snapping up the pestiferous little shades of by-gone gnats that seemed to take an almost unholy pleasure in alighting upon his various noses and ears.
Cerberusnoun
(Greek mythology) the three-headed dog guarding the entrance to Hades; son of Typhon
From this reading The mercury in the club thermometer was nervously clicking against the top of the crystal tube, and poor Cerberus was having all he could do with his three mouths snapping up the pestiferous little shades of by-gone gnats that seemed to take an almost unholy pleasure in alighting upon his various noses and ears.
certainadjectiveUS /ˈsɜːrtən/
definite but not specified or identified
From this reading It was a beautiful autumn day, although, owing to certain climatic peculiarities of Hades, it seemed more like midsummer.
clickingverbUS /ˈklɪkɪŋ/
-ing form of “click” — move or strike with a noise
From this reading The mercury in the club thermometer was nervously clicking against the top of the crystal tube, and poor Cerberus was having all he could do with his three mouths snapping up the pestiferous little shades of by-gone gnats that seemed to take an almost unholy pleasure in alighting upon his various noses and ears.
climaticadjectiveUS /klaɪˈmætɪk/
of or relating to a climate
From this reading It was a beautiful autumn day, although, owing to certain climatic peculiarities of Hades, it seemed more like midsummer.
clubnounUS /klʌb/
a team of professional baseball players who play and travel together
From this reading The mercury in the club thermometer was nervously clicking against the top of the crystal tube, and poor Cerberus was having all he could do with his three mouths snapping up the pestiferous little shades of by-gone gnats that seemed to take an almost unholy pleasure in alighting upon his various noses and ears.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading The mercury in the club thermometer was nervously clicking against the top of the crystal tube, and poor Cerberus was having all he could do with his three mouths snapping up the pestiferous little shades of by-gone gnats that seemed to take an almost unholy pleasure in alighting upon his various noses and ears.
crystalnounUS /ˈkrɪstəl/
a solid formed by the solidification of a chemical and having a highly regular atomic structure
From this reading The mercury in the club thermometer was nervously clicking against the top of the crystal tube, and poor Cerberus was having all he could do with his three mouths snapping up the pestiferous little shades of by-gone gnats that seemed to take an almost unholy pleasure in alighting upon his various noses and ears.
daynounUS /deɪ/
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading It was a beautiful autumn day, although, owing to certain climatic peculiarities of Hades, it seemed more like midsummer.
doauxiliary verbUS /duː/
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading The mercury in the club thermometer was nervously clicking against the top of the crystal tube, and poor Cerberus was having all he could do with his three mouths snapping up the pestiferous little shades of by-gone gnats that seemed to take an almost unholy pleasure in alighting upon his various noses and ears.
doingverbUS /ˈduːɪŋ/
-ing form of “do” — engage in
From this reading Ophelia was doing most of the talking.
earsnounUS /ɪrz/
plural of “ear” — the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium
From this reading The mercury in the club thermometer was nervously clicking against the top of the crystal tube, and poor Cerberus was having all he could do with his three mouths snapping up the pestiferous little shades of by-gone gnats that seemed to take an almost unholy pleasure in alighting upon his various noses and ears.
ElizabethnounUS /ɪˈlɪzəbəθ/
daughter of George VI who became the Queen of England and Northern Ireland in 1952 on the death of her father (1926-)
From this reading Queen Elizabeth, attended by Ophelia and Xanthippe, was walking along the river-bank.
gnatsnounUS /næts/
plural of “gnat” — any of various small biting flies: midges; biting midges; black flies; sand flies
From this reading The mercury in the club thermometer was nervously clicking against the top of the crystal tube, and poor Cerberus was having all he could do with his three mouths snapping up the pestiferous little shades of by-gone gnats that seemed to take an almost unholy pleasure in alighting upon his various noses and ears.
HadesnounUS /ˈheɪdiz/
(Greek mythology) the god of the underworld in ancient mythology; brother of Zeus and husband of Persephone
From this reading It was a beautiful autumn day, although, owing to certain climatic peculiarities of Hades, it seemed more like midsummer.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "I am sure I have never wished to ride one of them," she said, positively.
havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/
the -ing form of “have”
From this reading The mercury in the club thermometer was nervously clicking against the top of the crystal tube, and poor Cerberus was having all he could do with his three mouths snapping up the pestiferous little shades of by-gone gnats that seemed to take an almost unholy pleasure in alighting upon his various noses and ears.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The mercury in the club thermometer was nervously clicking against the top of the crystal tube, and poor Cerberus was having all he could do with his three mouths snapping up the pestiferous little shades of by-gone gnats that seemed to take an almost unholy pleasure in alighting upon his various noses and ears.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The mercury in the club thermometer was nervously clicking against the top of the crystal tube, and poor Cerberus was having all he could do with his three mouths snapping up the pestiferous little shades of by-gone gnats that seemed to take an almost unholy pleasure in alighting upon his various noses and ears.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I am sure I have never wished to ride one of them," she said, positively.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The mercury in the club thermometer was nervously clicking against the top of the crystal tube, and poor Cerberus was having all he could do with his three mouths snapping up the pestiferous little shades of by-gone gnats that seemed to take an almost unholy pleasure in alighting upon his various noses and ears.
ItpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was a beautiful autumn day, although, owing to certain climatic peculiarities of Hades, it seemed more like midsummer.
likeverbUS /laɪk/
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading It was a beautiful autumn day, although, owing to certain climatic peculiarities of Hades, it seemed more like midsummer.
littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading The mercury in the club thermometer was nervously clicking against the top of the crystal tube, and poor Cerberus was having all he could do with his three mouths snapping up the pestiferous little shades of by-gone gnats that seemed to take an almost unholy pleasure in alighting upon his various noses and ears.
mercurynounUS /ˈmɜːrkjəri/
a heavy silvery toxic univalent and bivalent metallic element; the only metal that is liquid at ordinary temperatures
From this reading The mercury in the club thermometer was nervously clicking against the top of the crystal tube, and poor Cerberus was having all he could do with his three mouths snapping up the pestiferous little shades of by-gone gnats that seemed to take an almost unholy pleasure in alighting upon his various noses and ears.
midsummernounUS /ˈmɪdˈsʌmər/
June 21, when the sun is at its northernmost point
From this reading It was a beautiful autumn day, although, owing to certain climatic peculiarities of Hades, it seemed more like midsummer.
moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading It was a beautiful autumn day, although, owing to certain climatic peculiarities of Hades, it seemed more like midsummer.
mostadverbUS /moʊst/
used to form the superlative
From this reading Ophelia was doing most of the talking.
mouthsnounUS /maʊðz/
plural of “mouth” — the opening through which food is taken in and vocalizations emerge
From this reading The mercury in the club thermometer was nervously clicking against the top of the crystal tube, and poor Cerberus was having all he could do with his three mouths snapping up the pestiferous little shades of by-gone gnats that seemed to take an almost unholy pleasure in alighting upon his various noses and ears.
nervouslyadverbUS /ˈnɜːrvəsli/
in an anxiously nervous manner
From this reading The mercury in the club thermometer was nervously clicking against the top of the crystal tube, and poor Cerberus was having all he could do with his three mouths snapping up the pestiferous little shades of by-gone gnats that seemed to take an almost unholy pleasure in alighting upon his various noses and ears.
neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading "I am sure I have never wished to ride one of them," she said, positively.
nosesnounUS /ˈnoʊzɪz/
plural of “nose” — the organ of smell and entrance to the respiratory tract; the prominent part of the face of man or other mammals
From this reading The mercury in the club thermometer was nervously clicking against the top of the crystal tube, and poor Cerberus was having all he could do with his three mouths snapping up the pestiferous little shades of by-gone gnats that seemed to take an almost unholy pleasure in alighting upon his various noses and ears.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It was a beautiful autumn day, although, owing to certain climatic peculiarities of Hades, it seemed more like midsummer.
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading "I am sure I have never wished to ride one of them," she said, positively.
Ophelia
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Queen Elizabeth, attended by Ophelia and Xanthippe, was walking along the river-bank.
owingadjectiveUS /ˈoʊɪŋ/
owed as a debt
From this reading It was a beautiful autumn day, although, owing to certain climatic peculiarities of Hades, it seemed more like midsummer.
peculiaritiesnounUS /pɪˌkjuːliˈerətiz/
plural of “peculiarity” — an odd or unusual characteristic
From this reading It was a beautiful autumn day, although, owing to certain climatic peculiarities of Hades, it seemed more like midsummer.
pestiferousadjective
contaminated with infecting organisms
From this reading The mercury in the club thermometer was nervously clicking against the top of the crystal tube, and poor Cerberus was having all he could do with his three mouths snapping up the pestiferous little shades of by-gone gnats that seemed to take an almost unholy pleasure in alighting upon his various noses and ears.
pleasurenounUS /ˈpleʒər/
a fundamental feeling that is hard to define but that people desire to experience
From this reading The mercury in the club thermometer was nervously clicking against the top of the crystal tube, and poor Cerberus was having all he could do with his three mouths snapping up the pestiferous little shades of by-gone gnats that seemed to take an almost unholy pleasure in alighting upon his various noses and ears.
pooradjectiveUS /puːr/
deserving or inciting pity
From this reading The mercury in the club thermometer was nervously clicking against the top of the crystal tube, and poor Cerberus was having all he could do with his three mouths snapping up the pestiferous little shades of by-gone gnats that seemed to take an almost unholy pleasure in alighting upon his various noses and ears.
positivelyadverbUS /ˈpɑːzətɪvli/
extremely
From this reading "I am sure I have never wished to ride one of them," she said, positively.
QueennounUS /kwiːn/
the only fertile female in a colony of social insects such as bees and ants and termites; its function is to lay eggs
From this reading Queen Elizabeth, attended by Ophelia and Xanthippe, was walking along the river-bank.
rideverbUS /raɪd/
sit and travel on the back of animal, usually while controlling its motions
From this reading "I am sure I have never wished to ride one of them," she said, positively.
river-bank
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Queen Elizabeth, attended by Ophelia and Xanthippe, was walking along the river-bank.
saidadjectiveUS /sed/
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "I am sure I have never wished to ride one of them," she said, positively.
seemedverbUS /siːmd/
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading It was a beautiful autumn day, although, owing to certain climatic peculiarities of Hades, it seemed more like midsummer.
shadesnounUS /ʃeɪdz/
(plural) something that reminds you of someone or something
From this reading The mercury in the club thermometer was nervously clicking against the top of the crystal tube, and poor Cerberus was having all he could do with his three mouths snapping up the pestiferous little shades of by-gone gnats that seemed to take an almost unholy pleasure in alighting upon his various noses and ears.
shepronounUS /ʃiː/
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "I am sure I have never wished to ride one of them," she said, positively.
snappingverbUS /ˈsnæpɪŋ/
inflected form of “snap” — utter in an angry, sharp, or abrupt tone
From this reading The mercury in the club thermometer was nervously clicking against the top of the crystal tube, and poor Cerberus was having all he could do with his three mouths snapping up the pestiferous little shades of by-gone gnats that seemed to take an almost unholy pleasure in alighting upon his various noses and ears.
sureadjectiveUS /ʃʊr/
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading "I am sure I have never wished to ride one of them," she said, positively.
takeverbUS /teɪk/
carry out
From this reading The mercury in the club thermometer was nervously clicking against the top of the crystal tube, and poor Cerberus was having all he could do with his three mouths snapping up the pestiferous little shades of by-gone gnats that seemed to take an almost unholy pleasure in alighting upon his various noses and ears.
talkingnounUS /ˈtɔːkɪŋ/
an exchange of ideas via conversation
From this reading Ophelia was doing most of the talking.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The mercury in the club thermometer was nervously clicking against the top of the crystal tube, and poor Cerberus was having all he could do with his three mouths snapping up the pestiferous little shades of by-gone gnats that seemed to take an almost unholy pleasure in alighting upon his various noses and ears.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Queen Elizabeth, attended by Ophelia and Xanthippe, was walking along the river-bank.
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading "I am sure I have never wished to ride one of them," she said, positively.
thermometernounUS /θərˈmɑːmətər/
measuring instrument for measuring temperature
From this reading The mercury in the club thermometer was nervously clicking against the top of the crystal tube, and poor Cerberus was having all he could do with his three mouths snapping up the pestiferous little shades of by-gone gnats that seemed to take an almost unholy pleasure in alighting upon his various noses and ears.
threenounUS /θriː/
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading The mercury in the club thermometer was nervously clicking against the top of the crystal tube, and poor Cerberus was having all he could do with his three mouths snapping up the pestiferous little shades of by-gone gnats that seemed to take an almost unholy pleasure in alighting upon his various noses and ears.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It was a beautiful autumn day, although, owing to certain climatic peculiarities of Hades, it seemed more like midsummer.
topnounUS /tɑːp/
the upper part of anything
From this reading The mercury in the club thermometer was nervously clicking against the top of the crystal tube, and poor Cerberus was having all he could do with his three mouths snapping up the pestiferous little shades of by-gone gnats that seemed to take an almost unholy pleasure in alighting upon his various noses and ears.
tubenounUS /tuːb/
conduit consisting of a long hollow object (usually cylindrical) used to hold and conduct objects or liquids or gases
From this reading The mercury in the club thermometer was nervously clicking against the top of the crystal tube, and poor Cerberus was having all he could do with his three mouths snapping up the pestiferous little shades of by-gone gnats that seemed to take an almost unholy pleasure in alighting upon his various noses and ears.
unholyadjectiveUS /ənˈhoʊli/
not hallowed or consecrated
From this reading The mercury in the club thermometer was nervously clicking against the top of the crystal tube, and poor Cerberus was having all he could do with his three mouths snapping up the pestiferous little shades of by-gone gnats that seemed to take an almost unholy pleasure in alighting upon his various noses and ears.
upadjectiveUS /ʌp/
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading The mercury in the club thermometer was nervously clicking against the top of the crystal tube, and poor Cerberus was having all he could do with his three mouths snapping up the pestiferous little shades of by-gone gnats that seemed to take an almost unholy pleasure in alighting upon his various noses and ears.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading The mercury in the club thermometer was nervously clicking against the top of the crystal tube, and poor Cerberus was having all he could do with his three mouths snapping up the pestiferous little shades of by-gone gnats that seemed to take an almost unholy pleasure in alighting upon his various noses and ears.
variousadjectiveUS /ˈveriəs/
of many different kinds purposefully arranged but lacking any uniformity
From this reading The mercury in the club thermometer was nervously clicking against the top of the crystal tube, and poor Cerberus was having all he could do with his three mouths snapping up the pestiferous little shades of by-gone gnats that seemed to take an almost unholy pleasure in alighting upon his various noses and ears.
walkingadjectiveUS /ˈwɔːkɪŋ/
close enough to be walked to
From this reading Queen Elizabeth, attended by Ophelia and Xanthippe, was walking along the river-bank.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Queen Elizabeth, attended by Ophelia and Xanthippe, was walking along the river-bank.
wishedverbUS /wɪʃt/
past form of “wish” — hope for; have a wish
From this reading "I am sure I have never wished to ride one of them," she said, positively.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading The mercury in the club thermometer was nervously clicking against the top of the crystal tube, and poor Cerberus was having all he could do with his three mouths snapping up the pestiferous little shades of by-gone gnats that seemed to take an almost unholy pleasure in alighting upon his various noses and ears.
Xanthippe
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Queen Elizabeth, attended by Ophelia and Xanthippe, was walking along the river-bank.
