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 I should, in fact, be a reasonable man laboring under a hallucination.
absolutely
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From this reading I certainly should think that I was mad, absolutely mad, if I were not conscious that I knew my state, if I could not fathom it and analyze it with the most complete lucidity.
analyze
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I certainly should think that I was mad, absolutely mad, if I were not conscious that I knew my state, if I could not fathom it and analyze it with the most complete lucidity.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I certainly should think that I was mad, absolutely mad, if I were not conscious that I knew my state, if I could not fathom it and analyze it with the most complete lucidity.
any
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Similar phenomena occur in dreams, and lead us through the most unlikely phantasmagoria, without causing us any surprise, because our verifying apparatus and our sense of control have gone to sleep, while our imaginative faculty wakes and works.
apparatus
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Similar phenomena occur in dreams, and lead us through the most unlikely phantasmagoria, without causing us any surprise, because our verifying apparatus and our sense of control have gone to sleep, while our imaginative faculty wakes and works.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading I should, in fact, be a reasonable man laboring under a hallucination.
becauseconjunctionUS /bɪˈkɔːz/
for the reason that
From this reading Similar phenomena occur in dreams, and lead us through the most unlikely phantasmagoria, without causing us any surprise, because our verifying apparatus and our sense of control have gone to sleep, while our imaginative faculty wakes and works.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Some unknown disturbance must have been excited in my brain, one of those disturbances which physiologists of the present day try to note and to fix precisely, and that disturbance must have caused a profound gulf in my mind and in the order and logic of my ideas.
brain
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Some unknown disturbance must have been excited in my brain, one of those disturbances which physiologists of the present day try to note and to fix precisely, and that disturbance must have caused a profound gulf in my mind and in the order and logic of my ideas.
caused
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Some unknown disturbance must have been excited in my brain, one of those disturbances which physiologists of the present day try to note and to fix precisely, and that disturbance must have caused a profound gulf in my mind and in the order and logic of my ideas.
causing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Similar phenomena occur in dreams, and lead us through the most unlikely phantasmagoria, without causing us any surprise, because our verifying apparatus and our sense of control have gone to sleep, while our imaginative faculty wakes and works.
cerebral
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From this reading Was it not possible that one of the imperceptible keys of the cerebral finger-board had been paralyzed in me?
certainly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I certainly should think that I was mad, absolutely mad, if I were not conscious that I knew my state, if I could not fathom it and analyze it with the most complete lucidity.
completenounUS /complete/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading I certainly should think that I was mad, absolutely mad, if I were not conscious that I knew my state, if I could not fathom it and analyze it with the most complete lucidity.
conscious
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I certainly should think that I was mad, absolutely mad, if I were not conscious that I knew my state, if I could not fathom it and analyze it with the most complete lucidity.
control
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Similar phenomena occur in dreams, and lead us through the most unlikely phantasmagoria, without causing us any surprise, because our verifying apparatus and our sense of control have gone to sleep, while our imaginative faculty wakes and works.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading I certainly should think that I was mad, absolutely mad, if I were not conscious that I knew my state, if I could not fathom it and analyze it with the most complete lucidity.
day
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Some unknown disturbance must have been excited in my brain, one of those disturbances which physiologists of the present day try to note and to fix precisely, and that disturbance must have caused a profound gulf in my mind and in the order and logic of my ideas.
disturbance
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Some unknown disturbance must have been excited in my brain, one of those disturbances which physiologists of the present day try to note and to fix precisely, and that disturbance must have caused a profound gulf in my mind and in the order and logic of my ideas.
disturbances
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Some unknown disturbance must have been excited in my brain, one of those disturbances which physiologists of the present day try to note and to fix precisely, and that disturbance must have caused a profound gulf in my mind and in the order and logic of my ideas.
dreams
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Similar phenomena occur in dreams, and lead us through the most unlikely phantasmagoria, without causing us any surprise, because our verifying apparatus and our sense of control have gone to sleep, while our imaginative faculty wakes and works.
excitedadjectiveUS /ɪkˈsaɪtɪd/
very enthusiastic or eager
From this reading Some unknown disturbance must have been excited in my brain, one of those disturbances which physiologists of the present day try to note and to fix precisely, and that disturbance must have caused a profound gulf in my mind and in the order and logic of my ideas.
fact
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I should, in fact, be a reasonable man laboring under a hallucination.
faculty
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Similar phenomena occur in dreams, and lead us through the most unlikely phantasmagoria, without causing us any surprise, because our verifying apparatus and our sense of control have gone to sleep, while our imaginative faculty wakes and works.
fathom
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I certainly should think that I was mad, absolutely mad, if I were not conscious that I knew my state, if I could not fathom it and analyze it with the most complete lucidity.
finger-board
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Was it not possible that one of the imperceptible keys of the cerebral finger-board had been paralyzed in me?
fix
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Some unknown disturbance must have been excited in my brain, one of those disturbances which physiologists of the present day try to note and to fix precisely, and that disturbance must have caused a profound gulf in my mind and in the order and logic of my ideas.
gone
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Similar phenomena occur in dreams, and lead us through the most unlikely phantasmagoria, without causing us any surprise, because our verifying apparatus and our sense of control have gone to sleep, while our imaginative faculty wakes and works.
gulf
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Some unknown disturbance must have been excited in my brain, one of those disturbances which physiologists of the present day try to note and to fix precisely, and that disturbance must have caused a profound gulf in my mind and in the order and logic of my ideas.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Was it not possible that one of the imperceptible keys of the cerebral finger-board had been paralyzed in me?
hallucination
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I should, in fact, be a reasonable man laboring under a hallucination.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Some unknown disturbance must have been excited in my brain, one of those disturbances which physiologists of the present day try to note and to fix precisely, and that disturbance must have caused a profound gulf in my mind and in the order and logic of my ideas.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I certainly should think that I was mad, absolutely mad, if I were not conscious that I knew my state, if I could not fathom it and analyze it with the most complete lucidity.
ideas
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Some unknown disturbance must have been excited in my brain, one of those disturbances which physiologists of the present day try to note and to fix precisely, and that disturbance must have caused a profound gulf in my mind and in the order and logic of my ideas.
ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading I certainly should think that I was mad, absolutely mad, if I were not conscious that I knew my state, if I could not fathom it and analyze it with the most complete lucidity.
imaginative
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Similar phenomena occur in dreams, and lead us through the most unlikely phantasmagoria, without causing us any surprise, because our verifying apparatus and our sense of control have gone to sleep, while our imaginative faculty wakes and works.
imperceptible
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Was it not possible that one of the imperceptible keys of the cerebral finger-board had been paralyzed in me?
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading I should, in fact, be a reasonable man laboring under a hallucination.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading I certainly should think that I was mad, absolutely mad, if I were not conscious that I knew my state, if I could not fathom it and analyze it with the most complete lucidity.
keys
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Was it not possible that one of the imperceptible keys of the cerebral finger-board had been paralyzed in me?
knew
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I certainly should think that I was mad, absolutely mad, if I were not conscious that I knew my state, if I could not fathom it and analyze it with the most complete lucidity.
laboring
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I should, in fact, be a reasonable man laboring under a hallucination.
lead
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Similar phenomena occur in dreams, and lead us through the most unlikely phantasmagoria, without causing us any surprise, because our verifying apparatus and our sense of control have gone to sleep, while our imaginative faculty wakes and works.
logic
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Some unknown disturbance must have been excited in my brain, one of those disturbances which physiologists of the present day try to note and to fix precisely, and that disturbance must have caused a profound gulf in my mind and in the order and logic of my ideas.
lucidity
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I certainly should think that I was mad, absolutely mad, if I were not conscious that I knew my state, if I could not fathom it and analyze it with the most complete lucidity.
mad
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I certainly should think that I was mad, absolutely mad, if I were not conscious that I knew my state, if I could not fathom it and analyze it with the most complete lucidity.
man
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I should, in fact, be a reasonable man laboring under a hallucination.
mepronounUS /miː/
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Was it not possible that one of the imperceptible keys of the cerebral finger-board had been paralyzed in me?
mindnounUS /mind/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Some unknown disturbance must have been excited in my brain, one of those disturbances which physiologists of the present day try to note and to fix precisely, and that disturbance must have caused a profound gulf in my mind and in the order and logic of my ideas.
most
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I certainly should think that I was mad, absolutely mad, if I were not conscious that I knew my state, if I could not fathom it and analyze it with the most complete lucidity.
mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading Some unknown disturbance must have been excited in my brain, one of those disturbances which physiologists of the present day try to note and to fix precisely, and that disturbance must have caused a profound gulf in my mind and in the order and logic of my ideas.
mydeterminerUS /maɪ/
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading I certainly should think that I was mad, absolutely mad, if I were not conscious that I knew my state, if I could not fathom it and analyze it with the most complete lucidity.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading I certainly should think that I was mad, absolutely mad, if I were not conscious that I knew my state, if I could not fathom it and analyze it with the most complete lucidity.
note
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Some unknown disturbance must have been excited in my brain, one of those disturbances which physiologists of the present day try to note and to fix precisely, and that disturbance must have caused a profound gulf in my mind and in the order and logic of my ideas.
occur
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Similar phenomena occur in dreams, and lead us through the most unlikely phantasmagoria, without causing us any surprise, because our verifying apparatus and our sense of control have gone to sleep, while our imaginative faculty wakes and works.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Some unknown disturbance must have been excited in my brain, one of those disturbances which physiologists of the present day try to note and to fix precisely, and that disturbance must have caused a profound gulf in my mind and in the order and logic of my ideas.
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Some unknown disturbance must have been excited in my brain, one of those disturbances which physiologists of the present day try to note and to fix precisely, and that disturbance must have caused a profound gulf in my mind and in the order and logic of my ideas.
ordernounUS /order/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Some unknown disturbance must have been excited in my brain, one of those disturbances which physiologists of the present day try to note and to fix precisely, and that disturbance must have caused a profound gulf in my mind and in the order and logic of my ideas.
ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading Similar phenomena occur in dreams, and lead us through the most unlikely phantasmagoria, without causing us any surprise, because our verifying apparatus and our sense of control have gone to sleep, while our imaginative faculty wakes and works.
paralyzed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Was it not possible that one of the imperceptible keys of the cerebral finger-board had been paralyzed in me?
phantasmagoria
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Similar phenomena occur in dreams, and lead us through the most unlikely phantasmagoria, without causing us any surprise, because our verifying apparatus and our sense of control have gone to sleep, while our imaginative faculty wakes and works.
phenomena
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Similar phenomena occur in dreams, and lead us through the most unlikely phantasmagoria, without causing us any surprise, because our verifying apparatus and our sense of control have gone to sleep, while our imaginative faculty wakes and works.
physiologists
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Some unknown disturbance must have been excited in my brain, one of those disturbances which physiologists of the present day try to note and to fix precisely, and that disturbance must have caused a profound gulf in my mind and in the order and logic of my ideas.
possible
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Was it not possible that one of the imperceptible keys of the cerebral finger-board had been paralyzed in me?
precisely
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Some unknown disturbance must have been excited in my brain, one of those disturbances which physiologists of the present day try to note and to fix precisely, and that disturbance must have caused a profound gulf in my mind and in the order and logic of my ideas.
present
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Some unknown disturbance must have been excited in my brain, one of those disturbances which physiologists of the present day try to note and to fix precisely, and that disturbance must have caused a profound gulf in my mind and in the order and logic of my ideas.
profound
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Some unknown disturbance must have been excited in my brain, one of those disturbances which physiologists of the present day try to note and to fix precisely, and that disturbance must have caused a profound gulf in my mind and in the order and logic of my ideas.
reasonable
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I should, in fact, be a reasonable man laboring under a hallucination.
sense
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Similar phenomena occur in dreams, and lead us through the most unlikely phantasmagoria, without causing us any surprise, because our verifying apparatus and our sense of control have gone to sleep, while our imaginative faculty wakes and works.
shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading I certainly should think that I was mad, absolutely mad, if I were not conscious that I knew my state, if I could not fathom it and analyze it with the most complete lucidity.
Similar
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Similar phenomena occur in dreams, and lead us through the most unlikely phantasmagoria, without causing us any surprise, because our verifying apparatus and our sense of control have gone to sleep, while our imaginative faculty wakes and works.
sleep
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Similar phenomena occur in dreams, and lead us through the most unlikely phantasmagoria, without causing us any surprise, because our verifying apparatus and our sense of control have gone to sleep, while our imaginative faculty wakes and works.
Some
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Some unknown disturbance must have been excited in my brain, one of those disturbances which physiologists of the present day try to note and to fix precisely, and that disturbance must have caused a profound gulf in my mind and in the order and logic of my ideas.
state
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I certainly should think that I was mad, absolutely mad, if I were not conscious that I knew my state, if I could not fathom it and analyze it with the most complete lucidity.
surprise
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Similar phenomena occur in dreams, and lead us through the most unlikely phantasmagoria, without causing us any surprise, because our verifying apparatus and our sense of control have gone to sleep, while our imaginative faculty wakes and works.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading I certainly should think that I was mad, absolutely mad, if I were not conscious that I knew my state, if I could not fathom it and analyze it with the most complete lucidity.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I certainly should think that I was mad, absolutely mad, if I were not conscious that I knew my state, if I could not fathom it and analyze it with the most complete lucidity.
thinknounUS /think/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading I certainly should think that I was mad, absolutely mad, if I were not conscious that I knew my state, if I could not fathom it and analyze it with the most complete lucidity.
thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading Some unknown disturbance must have been excited in my brain, one of those disturbances which physiologists of the present day try to note and to fix precisely, and that disturbance must have caused a profound gulf in my mind and in the order and logic of my ideas.
throughnounUS /ˈthrough/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading Similar phenomena occur in dreams, and lead us through the most unlikely phantasmagoria, without causing us any surprise, because our verifying apparatus and our sense of control have gone to sleep, while our imaginative faculty wakes and works.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Some unknown disturbance must have been excited in my brain, one of those disturbances which physiologists of the present day try to note and to fix precisely, and that disturbance must have caused a profound gulf in my mind and in the order and logic of my ideas.
try
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Some unknown disturbance must have been excited in my brain, one of those disturbances which physiologists of the present day try to note and to fix precisely, and that disturbance must have caused a profound gulf in my mind and in the order and logic of my ideas.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading I should, in fact, be a reasonable man laboring under a hallucination.
unknown
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Some unknown disturbance must have been excited in my brain, one of those disturbances which physiologists of the present day try to note and to fix precisely, and that disturbance must have caused a profound gulf in my mind and in the order and logic of my ideas.
unlikely
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Similar phenomena occur in dreams, and lead us through the most unlikely phantasmagoria, without causing us any surprise, because our verifying apparatus and our sense of control have gone to sleep, while our imaginative faculty wakes and works.
uspronounUS /ʌs/
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Similar phenomena occur in dreams, and lead us through the most unlikely phantasmagoria, without causing us any surprise, because our verifying apparatus and our sense of control have gone to sleep, while our imaginative faculty wakes and works.
verifying
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Similar phenomena occur in dreams, and lead us through the most unlikely phantasmagoria, without causing us any surprise, because our verifying apparatus and our sense of control have gone to sleep, while our imaginative faculty wakes and works.
wakes
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Similar phenomena occur in dreams, and lead us through the most unlikely phantasmagoria, without causing us any surprise, because our verifying apparatus and our sense of control have gone to sleep, while our imaginative faculty wakes and works.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I certainly should think that I was mad, absolutely mad, if I were not conscious that I knew my state, if I could not fathom it and analyze it with the most complete lucidity.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading I certainly should think that I was mad, absolutely mad, if I were not conscious that I knew my state, if I could not fathom it and analyze it with the most complete lucidity.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Some unknown disturbance must have been excited in my brain, one of those disturbances which physiologists of the present day try to note and to fix precisely, and that disturbance must have caused a profound gulf in my mind and in the order and logic of my ideas.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading Similar phenomena occur in dreams, and lead us through the most unlikely phantasmagoria, without causing us any surprise, because our verifying apparatus and our sense of control have gone to sleep, while our imaginative faculty wakes and works.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading I certainly should think that I was mad, absolutely mad, if I were not conscious that I knew my state, if I could not fathom it and analyze it with the most complete lucidity.
withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading Similar phenomena occur in dreams, and lead us through the most unlikely phantasmagoria, without causing us any surprise, because our verifying apparatus and our sense of control have gone to sleep, while our imaginative faculty wakes and works.
works
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Similar phenomena occur in dreams, and lead us through the most unlikely phantasmagoria, without causing us any surprise, because our verifying apparatus and our sense of control have gone to sleep, while our imaginative faculty wakes and works.
