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A Selection from the Writings of Guy De Maupassant, Vol. I
A Selection from the Writings of Guy De Maupassant, Vol. I

Chapter XIV

Cover illustration for A Selection from the Writings of Guy De Maupassant, Vol. I
Context Illustration Reading 1/36 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
How strange are those old recollections which haunt us, without our being able to get rid of them!
This one is so very old that I cannot understand how it has clung so vividly and tenaciously to my memory.
Since then I have seen so many sinister things, either affecting or terrible, that I am astonished at not being able to pass a single day without the face of Mother Bellflower recurring to my mind's eye, just as I knew her formerly, long, long ago, when I was ten or twelve years old.
She was an old seamstress who came to my parents' house once a week, every Thursday, to mend the linen.
My parents lived in one of those country houses called chateaux, which are merely old houses with pointed roofs, to which are attached three or four adjacent farms.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

A Selection from the Writings of Guy De Maupassant, Vol. I

Chapter XIV

Reading 1/36 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
How strange are those old recollections which haunt us, without our being able to get rid of them!
Line 2
This one is so very old that I cannot understand how it has clung so vividly and tenaciously to my memory.
Line 3
Since then I have seen so many sinister things, either affecting or terrible, that I am astonished at not being able to pass a single day without the face of Mother Bellflower recurring to my mind's eye, just as I knew her formerly, long, long ago, when I was ten or twelve years old.
Line 4
She was an old seamstress who came to my parents' house once a week, every Thursday, to mend the linen.
Line 5
My parents lived in one of those country houses called chateaux, which are merely old houses with pointed roofs, to which are attached three or four adjacent farms.

Learner Dictionary

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, audio, and collocations from this reading.

Astonished adjective US /əˈstɑːnɪʃt/

very surprised

From this reading “Since then I have seen so many sinister things, either affecting or terrible, that I am astonished at not being able to pass a single day without the face of Mother Bellflower recurring to my mind's eye, just as I knew her formerly, long, long ago, when I was ten or twelve years old.”

Being auxiliary verb US /ˈbiːɪŋ/

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading “How strange are those old recollections which haunt us, without our being able to get rid of them!”

Clung noun US /clung/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “This one is so very old that I cannot understand how it has clung so vividly and tenaciously to my memory.”

Either determiner US /ˈiːðər/

one or the other of two

From this reading “Since then I have seen so many sinister things, either affecting or terrible, that I am astonished at not being able to pass a single day without the face of Mother Bellflower recurring to my mind's eye, just as I knew her formerly, long, long ago, when I was ten or twelve years old.”

Every determiner US /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading “She was an old seamstress who came to my parents' house once a week, every Thursday, to mend the linen.”

Has auxiliary verb US /hæz/

the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading “This one is so very old that I cannot understand how it has clung so vividly and tenaciously to my memory.”

Have auxiliary verb US /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “Since then I have seen so many sinister things, either affecting or terrible, that I am astonished at not being able to pass a single day without the face of Mother Bellflower recurring to my mind's eye, just as I knew her formerly, long, long ago, when I was ten or twelve years old.”

Long noun US /long/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Since then I have seen so many sinister things, either affecting or terrible, that I am astonished at not being able to pass a single day without the face of Mother Bellflower recurring to my mind's eye, just as I knew her formerly, long, long ago, when I was ten or twelve years old.”

Memory noun US /ˈmem.ər.i/

The faculty by which the mind stores and remembers information and knowledge.

From this reading “This one is so very old that I cannot understand how it has clung so vividly and tenaciously to my memory.”

Once noun US /once/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “She was an old seamstress who came to my parents' house once a week, every Thursday, to mend the linen.”

One pronoun US /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading “This one is so very old that I cannot understand how it has clung so vividly and tenaciously to my memory.”

Since preposition US /sɪns/

from a time in the past until now

From this reading “Since then I have seen so many sinister things, either affecting or terrible, that I am astonished at not being able to pass a single day without the face of Mother Bellflower recurring to my mind's eye, just as I knew her formerly, long, long ago, when I was ten or twelve years old.”

Terrible noun US /ˈterrible/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading “Since then I have seen so many sinister things, either affecting or terrible, that I am astonished at not being able to pass a single day without the face of Mother Bellflower recurring to my mind's eye, just as I knew her formerly, long, long ago, when I was ten or twelve years old.”

Those determiner US /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading “How strange are those old recollections which haunt us, without our being able to get rid of them!”

Understand noun US /understand/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “This one is so very old that I cannot understand how it has clung so vividly and tenaciously to my memory.”

Without preposition US /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading “How strange are those old recollections which haunt us, without our being able to get rid of them!”

All words in this reading · 101

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 Since then I have seen so many sinister things, either affecting or terrible, that I am astonished at not being able to pass a single day without the face of Mother Bellflower recurring to my mind's eye, just as I knew her formerly, long, long ago, when I was ten or twelve years old.

able

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading How strange are those old recollections which haunt us, without our being able to get rid of them!

adjacent

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading My parents lived in one of those country houses called chateaux, which are merely old houses with pointed roofs, to which are attached three or four adjacent farms.

affecting

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Since then I have seen so many sinister things, either affecting or terrible, that I am astonished at not being able to pass a single day without the face of Mother Bellflower recurring to my mind's eye, just as I knew her formerly, long, long ago, when I was ten or twelve years old.

ago

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Since then I have seen so many sinister things, either affecting or terrible, that I am astonished at not being able to pass a single day without the face of Mother Bellflower recurring to my mind's eye, just as I knew her formerly, long, long ago, when I was ten or twelve years old.

amauxiliary verbUS /æm/

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading Since then I have seen so many sinister things, either affecting or terrible, that I am astonished at not being able to pass a single day without the face of Mother Bellflower recurring to my mind's eye, just as I knew her formerly, long, long ago, when I was ten or twelve years old.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading She was an old seamstress who came to my parents' house once a week, every Thursday, to mend the linen.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading This one is so very old that I cannot understand how it has clung so vividly and tenaciously to my memory.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading How strange are those old recollections which haunt us, without our being able to get rid of them!

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading Since then I have seen so many sinister things, either affecting or terrible, that I am astonished at not being able to pass a single day without the face of Mother Bellflower recurring to my mind's eye, just as I knew her formerly, long, long ago, when I was ten or twelve years old.

astonishedadjectiveUS /əˈstɑːnɪʃt/

very surprised

From this reading Since then I have seen so many sinister things, either affecting or terrible, that I am astonished at not being able to pass a single day without the face of Mother Bellflower recurring to my mind's eye, just as I knew her formerly, long, long ago, when I was ten or twelve years old.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Since then I have seen so many sinister things, either affecting or terrible, that I am astonished at not being able to pass a single day without the face of Mother Bellflower recurring to my mind's eye, just as I knew her formerly, long, long ago, when I was ten or twelve years old.

attached

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading My parents lived in one of those country houses called chateaux, which are merely old houses with pointed roofs, to which are attached three or four adjacent farms.

beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading How strange are those old recollections which haunt us, without our being able to get rid of them!

Bellflower

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Since then I have seen so many sinister things, either affecting or terrible, that I am astonished at not being able to pass a single day without the face of Mother Bellflower recurring to my mind's eye, just as I knew her formerly, long, long ago, when I was ten or twelve years old.

called

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading My parents lived in one of those country houses called chateaux, which are merely old houses with pointed roofs, to which are attached three or four adjacent farms.

came

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading She was an old seamstress who came to my parents' house once a week, every Thursday, to mend the linen.

cannot

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading This one is so very old that I cannot understand how it has clung so vividly and tenaciously to my memory.

chateaux

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading My parents lived in one of those country houses called chateaux, which are merely old houses with pointed roofs, to which are attached three or four adjacent farms.

clungnounUS /clung/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading This one is so very old that I cannot understand how it has clung so vividly and tenaciously to my memory.

country

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading My parents lived in one of those country houses called chateaux, which are merely old houses with pointed roofs, to which are attached three or four adjacent farms.

day

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Since then I have seen so many sinister things, either affecting or terrible, that I am astonished at not being able to pass a single day without the face of Mother Bellflower recurring to my mind's eye, just as I knew her formerly, long, long ago, when I was ten or twelve years old.

eitherdeterminerUS /ˈiːðər/

one or the other of two

From this reading Since then I have seen so many sinister things, either affecting or terrible, that I am astonished at not being able to pass a single day without the face of Mother Bellflower recurring to my mind's eye, just as I knew her formerly, long, long ago, when I was ten or twelve years old.

everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading She was an old seamstress who came to my parents' house once a week, every Thursday, to mend the linen.

eye

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Since then I have seen so many sinister things, either affecting or terrible, that I am astonished at not being able to pass a single day without the face of Mother Bellflower recurring to my mind's eye, just as I knew her formerly, long, long ago, when I was ten or twelve years old.

face

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Since then I have seen so many sinister things, either affecting or terrible, that I am astonished at not being able to pass a single day without the face of Mother Bellflower recurring to my mind's eye, just as I knew her formerly, long, long ago, when I was ten or twelve years old.

farms

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading My parents lived in one of those country houses called chateaux, which are merely old houses with pointed roofs, to which are attached three or four adjacent farms.

formerly

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Since then I have seen so many sinister things, either affecting or terrible, that I am astonished at not being able to pass a single day without the face of Mother Bellflower recurring to my mind's eye, just as I knew her formerly, long, long ago, when I was ten or twelve years old.

four

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading My parents lived in one of those country houses called chateaux, which are merely old houses with pointed roofs, to which are attached three or four adjacent farms.

get

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading How strange are those old recollections which haunt us, without our being able to get rid of them!

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading This one is so very old that I cannot understand how it has clung so vividly and tenaciously to my memory.

haunt

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading How strange are those old recollections which haunt us, without our being able to get rid of them!

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Since then I have seen so many sinister things, either affecting or terrible, that I am astonished at not being able to pass a single day without the face of Mother Bellflower recurring to my mind's eye, just as I knew her formerly, long, long ago, when I was ten or twelve years old.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading Since then I have seen so many sinister things, either affecting or terrible, that I am astonished at not being able to pass a single day without the face of Mother Bellflower recurring to my mind's eye, just as I knew her formerly, long, long ago, when I was ten or twelve years old.

house

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading She was an old seamstress who came to my parents' house once a week, every Thursday, to mend the linen.

houses

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading My parents lived in one of those country houses called chateaux, which are merely old houses with pointed roofs, to which are attached three or four adjacent farms.

How

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading How strange are those old recollections which haunt us, without our being able to get rid of them!

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading This one is so very old that I cannot understand how it has clung so vividly and tenaciously to my memory.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading My parents lived in one of those country houses called chateaux, which are merely old houses with pointed roofs, to which are attached three or four adjacent farms.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading This one is so very old that I cannot understand how it has clung so vividly and tenaciously to my memory.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading This one is so very old that I cannot understand how it has clung so vividly and tenaciously to my memory.

just

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Since then I have seen so many sinister things, either affecting or terrible, that I am astonished at not being able to pass a single day without the face of Mother Bellflower recurring to my mind's eye, just as I knew her formerly, long, long ago, when I was ten or twelve years old.

knew

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Since then I have seen so many sinister things, either affecting or terrible, that I am astonished at not being able to pass a single day without the face of Mother Bellflower recurring to my mind's eye, just as I knew her formerly, long, long ago, when I was ten or twelve years old.

linen

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading She was an old seamstress who came to my parents' house once a week, every Thursday, to mend the linen.

lived

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading My parents lived in one of those country houses called chateaux, which are merely old houses with pointed roofs, to which are attached three or four adjacent farms.

longnounUS /long/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Since then I have seen so many sinister things, either affecting or terrible, that I am astonished at not being able to pass a single day without the face of Mother Bellflower recurring to my mind's eye, just as I knew her formerly, long, long ago, when I was ten or twelve years old.

many

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Since then I have seen so many sinister things, either affecting or terrible, that I am astonished at not being able to pass a single day without the face of Mother Bellflower recurring to my mind's eye, just as I knew her formerly, long, long ago, when I was ten or twelve years old.

memorynounUS /ˈmem.ər.i/

The faculty by which the mind stores and remembers information and knowledge.

From this reading This one is so very old that I cannot understand how it has clung so vividly and tenaciously to my memory.

mend

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading She was an old seamstress who came to my parents' house once a week, every Thursday, to mend the linen.

merely

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading My parents lived in one of those country houses called chateaux, which are merely old houses with pointed roofs, to which are attached three or four adjacent farms.

mind's

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Since then I have seen so many sinister things, either affecting or terrible, that I am astonished at not being able to pass a single day without the face of Mother Bellflower recurring to my mind's eye, just as I knew her formerly, long, long ago, when I was ten or twelve years old.

Mother

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Since then I have seen so many sinister things, either affecting or terrible, that I am astonished at not being able to pass a single day without the face of Mother Bellflower recurring to my mind's eye, just as I knew her formerly, long, long ago, when I was ten or twelve years old.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading This one is so very old that I cannot understand how it has clung so vividly and tenaciously to my memory.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Since then I have seen so many sinister things, either affecting or terrible, that I am astonished at not being able to pass a single day without the face of Mother Bellflower recurring to my mind's eye, just as I knew her formerly, long, long ago, when I was ten or twelve years old.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading How strange are those old recollections which haunt us, without our being able to get rid of them!

old

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading How strange are those old recollections which haunt us, without our being able to get rid of them!

once

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading She was an old seamstress who came to my parents' house once a week, every Thursday, to mend the linen.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading This one is so very old that I cannot understand how it has clung so vividly and tenaciously to my memory.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Since then I have seen so many sinister things, either affecting or terrible, that I am astonished at not being able to pass a single day without the face of Mother Bellflower recurring to my mind's eye, just as I knew her formerly, long, long ago, when I was ten or twelve years old.

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading How strange are those old recollections which haunt us, without our being able to get rid of them!

parents

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading She was an old seamstress who came to my parents' house once a week, every Thursday, to mend the linen.

pass

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Since then I have seen so many sinister things, either affecting or terrible, that I am astonished at not being able to pass a single day without the face of Mother Bellflower recurring to my mind's eye, just as I knew her formerly, long, long ago, when I was ten or twelve years old.

pointed

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading My parents lived in one of those country houses called chateaux, which are merely old houses with pointed roofs, to which are attached three or four adjacent farms.

recollections

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading How strange are those old recollections which haunt us, without our being able to get rid of them!

recurring

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Since then I have seen so many sinister things, either affecting or terrible, that I am astonished at not being able to pass a single day without the face of Mother Bellflower recurring to my mind's eye, just as I knew her formerly, long, long ago, when I was ten or twelve years old.

rid

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading How strange are those old recollections which haunt us, without our being able to get rid of them!

roofs

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading My parents lived in one of those country houses called chateaux, which are merely old houses with pointed roofs, to which are attached three or four adjacent farms.

seamstress

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading She was an old seamstress who came to my parents' house once a week, every Thursday, to mend the linen.

seen

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Since then I have seen so many sinister things, either affecting or terrible, that I am astonished at not being able to pass a single day without the face of Mother Bellflower recurring to my mind's eye, just as I knew her formerly, long, long ago, when I was ten or twelve years old.

ShepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading She was an old seamstress who came to my parents' house once a week, every Thursday, to mend the linen.

SinceprepositionUS /sɪns/

from a time in the past until now

From this reading Since then I have seen so many sinister things, either affecting or terrible, that I am astonished at not being able to pass a single day without the face of Mother Bellflower recurring to my mind's eye, just as I knew her formerly, long, long ago, when I was ten or twelve years old.

single

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Since then I have seen so many sinister things, either affecting or terrible, that I am astonished at not being able to pass a single day without the face of Mother Bellflower recurring to my mind's eye, just as I knew her formerly, long, long ago, when I was ten or twelve years old.

sinister

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Since then I have seen so many sinister things, either affecting or terrible, that I am astonished at not being able to pass a single day without the face of Mother Bellflower recurring to my mind's eye, just as I knew her formerly, long, long ago, when I was ten or twelve years old.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading This one is so very old that I cannot understand how it has clung so vividly and tenaciously to my memory.

strange

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading How strange are those old recollections which haunt us, without our being able to get rid of them!

ten

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Since then I have seen so many sinister things, either affecting or terrible, that I am astonished at not being able to pass a single day without the face of Mother Bellflower recurring to my mind's eye, just as I knew her formerly, long, long ago, when I was ten or twelve years old.

tenaciously

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading This one is so very old that I cannot understand how it has clung so vividly and tenaciously to my memory.

terriblenounUS /ˈterrible/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading Since then I have seen so many sinister things, either affecting or terrible, that I am astonished at not being able to pass a single day without the face of Mother Bellflower recurring to my mind's eye, just as I knew her formerly, long, long ago, when I was ten or twelve years old.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading This one is so very old that I cannot understand how it has clung so vividly and tenaciously to my memory.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading Since then I have seen so many sinister things, either affecting or terrible, that I am astonished at not being able to pass a single day without the face of Mother Bellflower recurring to my mind's eye, just as I knew her formerly, long, long ago, when I was ten or twelve years old.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading How strange are those old recollections which haunt us, without our being able to get rid of them!

then

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Since then I have seen so many sinister things, either affecting or terrible, that I am astonished at not being able to pass a single day without the face of Mother Bellflower recurring to my mind's eye, just as I knew her formerly, long, long ago, when I was ten or twelve years old.

things

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Since then I have seen so many sinister things, either affecting or terrible, that I am astonished at not being able to pass a single day without the face of Mother Bellflower recurring to my mind's eye, just as I knew her formerly, long, long ago, when I was ten or twelve years old.

ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading This one is so very old that I cannot understand how it has clung so vividly and tenaciously to my memory.

thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading How strange are those old recollections which haunt us, without our being able to get rid of them!

three

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading My parents lived in one of those country houses called chateaux, which are merely old houses with pointed roofs, to which are attached three or four adjacent farms.

Thursday

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading She was an old seamstress who came to my parents' house once a week, every Thursday, to mend the linen.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading How strange are those old recollections which haunt us, without our being able to get rid of them!

twelve

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Since then I have seen so many sinister things, either affecting or terrible, that I am astonished at not being able to pass a single day without the face of Mother Bellflower recurring to my mind's eye, just as I knew her formerly, long, long ago, when I was ten or twelve years old.

understandnounUS /understand/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading This one is so very old that I cannot understand how it has clung so vividly and tenaciously to my memory.

uspronounUS /ʌs/

the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading How strange are those old recollections which haunt us, without our being able to get rid of them!

very

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading This one is so very old that I cannot understand how it has clung so vividly and tenaciously to my memory.

vividly

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading This one is so very old that I cannot understand how it has clung so vividly and tenaciously to my memory.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Since then I have seen so many sinister things, either affecting or terrible, that I am astonished at not being able to pass a single day without the face of Mother Bellflower recurring to my mind's eye, just as I knew her formerly, long, long ago, when I was ten or twelve years old.

week

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading She was an old seamstress who came to my parents' house once a week, every Thursday, to mend the linen.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading Since then I have seen so many sinister things, either affecting or terrible, that I am astonished at not being able to pass a single day without the face of Mother Bellflower recurring to my mind's eye, just as I knew her formerly, long, long ago, when I was ten or twelve years old.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading How strange are those old recollections which haunt us, without our being able to get rid of them!

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading She was an old seamstress who came to my parents' house once a week, every Thursday, to mend the linen.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading My parents lived in one of those country houses called chateaux, which are merely old houses with pointed roofs, to which are attached three or four adjacent farms.

withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading How strange are those old recollections which haunt us, without our being able to get rid of them!

years

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Since then I have seen so many sinister things, either affecting or terrible, that I am astonished at not being able to pass a single day without the face of Mother Bellflower recurring to my mind's eye, just as I knew her formerly, long, long ago, when I was ten or twelve years old.