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 THE STRANGER AT THE CROSS-ROADS Mary drove home from Hardrascliffe along a dark, wind-swept road.
actually
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She had actually made Mary feel an interloper in the nursing-home she had visited all her life, by that air of off-hand familiarity with which she took possession of the whole staff.
afternoonnounUS /ˈafternoon/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading She had been busy all the afternoon helping Ursula to establish herself in the nursing-home where she was to await the arrival of her child.
air
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She had actually made Mary feel an interloper in the nursing-home she had visited all her life, by that air of off-hand familiarity with which she took possession of the whole staff.
all
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She had been busy all the afternoon helping Ursula to establish herself in the nursing-home where she was to await the arrival of her child.
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading THE STRANGER AT THE CROSS-ROADS Mary drove home from Hardrascliffe along a dark, wind-swept road.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Ursula was not an easy person to help.
aroused
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She had aroused all sorts of uncomfortable desires which Mary had thought were hidden deep beneath a weight of busy complacency.
arrival
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She had been busy all the afternoon helping Ursula to establish herself in the nursing-home where she was to await the arrival of her child.
ATprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading THE STRANGER AT THE CROSS-ROADS Mary drove home from Hardrascliffe along a dark, wind-swept road.
await
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She had been busy all the afternoon helping Ursula to establish herself in the nursing-home where she was to await the arrival of her child.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading She had been busy all the afternoon helping Ursula to establish herself in the nursing-home where she was to await the arrival of her child.
beneathprepositionUS /bɪˈniːθ/
Directly under; in or to a lower position than.
From this reading She had aroused all sorts of uncomfortable desires which Mary had thought were hidden deep beneath a weight of busy complacency.
busy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She had been busy all the afternoon helping Ursula to establish herself in the nursing-home where she was to await the arrival of her child.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading She had actually made Mary feel an interloper in the nursing-home she had visited all her life, by that air of off-hand familiarity with which she took possession of the whole staff.
child
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She had been busy all the afternoon helping Ursula to establish herself in the nursing-home where she was to await the arrival of her child.
complacency
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She had aroused all sorts of uncomfortable desires which Mary had thought were hidden deep beneath a weight of busy complacency.
CROSS-ROADS
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE STRANGER AT THE CROSS-ROADS Mary drove home from Hardrascliffe along a dark, wind-swept road.
dark
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE STRANGER AT THE CROSS-ROADS Mary drove home from Hardrascliffe along a dark, wind-swept road.
deep
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She had aroused all sorts of uncomfortable desires which Mary had thought were hidden deep beneath a weight of busy complacency.
desires
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She had aroused all sorts of uncomfortable desires which Mary had thought were hidden deep beneath a weight of busy complacency.
drove
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE STRANGER AT THE CROSS-ROADS Mary drove home from Hardrascliffe along a dark, wind-swept road.
easy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ursula was not an easy person to help.
establish
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She had been busy all the afternoon helping Ursula to establish herself in the nursing-home where she was to await the arrival of her child.
familiarity
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She had actually made Mary feel an interloper in the nursing-home she had visited all her life, by that air of off-hand familiarity with which she took possession of the whole staff.
feel
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She had actually made Mary feel an interloper in the nursing-home she had visited all her life, by that air of off-hand familiarity with which she took possession of the whole staff.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading THE STRANGER AT THE CROSS-ROADS Mary drove home from Hardrascliffe along a dark, wind-swept road.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading She had been busy all the afternoon helping Ursula to establish herself in the nursing-home where she was to await the arrival of her child.
Hardrascliffe
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE STRANGER AT THE CROSS-ROADS Mary drove home from Hardrascliffe along a dark, wind-swept road.
helpnounUS /help/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Ursula was not an easy person to help.
helping
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She had been busy all the afternoon helping Ursula to establish herself in the nursing-home where she was to await the arrival of her child.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading She had been busy all the afternoon helping Ursula to establish herself in the nursing-home where she was to await the arrival of her child.
herselfpronounUS /hərˈself/
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading She had been busy all the afternoon helping Ursula to establish herself in the nursing-home where she was to await the arrival of her child.
hidden
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She had aroused all sorts of uncomfortable desires which Mary had thought were hidden deep beneath a weight of busy complacency.
home
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE STRANGER AT THE CROSS-ROADS Mary drove home from Hardrascliffe along a dark, wind-swept road.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading She had been busy all the afternoon helping Ursula to establish herself in the nursing-home where she was to await the arrival of her child.
interloper
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She had actually made Mary feel an interloper in the nursing-home she had visited all her life, by that air of off-hand familiarity with which she took possession of the whole staff.
lifenounUS /life/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading She had actually made Mary feel an interloper in the nursing-home she had visited all her life, by that air of off-hand familiarity with which she took possession of the whole staff.
made
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She had actually made Mary feel an interloper in the nursing-home she had visited all her life, by that air of off-hand familiarity with which she took possession of the whole staff.
Mary
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE STRANGER AT THE CROSS-ROADS Mary drove home from Hardrascliffe along a dark, wind-swept road.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Ursula was not an easy person to help.
nursing-home
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She had been busy all the afternoon helping Ursula to establish herself in the nursing-home where she was to await the arrival of her child.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading She had been busy all the afternoon helping Ursula to establish herself in the nursing-home where she was to await the arrival of her child.
off-hand
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She had actually made Mary feel an interloper in the nursing-home she had visited all her life, by that air of off-hand familiarity with which she took possession of the whole staff.
person
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ursula was not an easy person to help.
possession
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She had actually made Mary feel an interloper in the nursing-home she had visited all her life, by that air of off-hand familiarity with which she took possession of the whole staff.
road
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE STRANGER AT THE CROSS-ROADS Mary drove home from Hardrascliffe along a dark, wind-swept road.
ShepronounUS /ʃiː/
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She had been busy all the afternoon helping Ursula to establish herself in the nursing-home where she was to await the arrival of her child.
sorts
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She had aroused all sorts of uncomfortable desires which Mary had thought were hidden deep beneath a weight of busy complacency.
staff
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She had actually made Mary feel an interloper in the nursing-home she had visited all her life, by that air of off-hand familiarity with which she took possession of the whole staff.
STRANGER
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE STRANGER AT THE CROSS-ROADS Mary drove home from Hardrascliffe along a dark, wind-swept road.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading She had actually made Mary feel an interloper in the nursing-home she had visited all her life, by that air of off-hand familiarity with which she took possession of the whole staff.
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE STRANGER AT THE CROSS-ROADS Mary drove home from Hardrascliffe along a dark, wind-swept road.
thoughtnounUS /thought/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading She had aroused all sorts of uncomfortable desires which Mary had thought were hidden deep beneath a weight of busy complacency.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading She had been busy all the afternoon helping Ursula to establish herself in the nursing-home where she was to await the arrival of her child.
tooknounUS /took/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading She had actually made Mary feel an interloper in the nursing-home she had visited all her life, by that air of off-hand familiarity with which she took possession of the whole staff.
uncomfortable
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She had aroused all sorts of uncomfortable desires which Mary had thought were hidden deep beneath a weight of busy complacency.
Ursula
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She had been busy all the afternoon helping Ursula to establish herself in the nursing-home where she was to await the arrival of her child.
visited
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She had actually made Mary feel an interloper in the nursing-home she had visited all her life, by that air of off-hand familiarity with which she took possession of the whole staff.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading She had been busy all the afternoon helping Ursula to establish herself in the nursing-home where she was to await the arrival of her child.
weight
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She had aroused all sorts of uncomfortable desires which Mary had thought were hidden deep beneath a weight of busy complacency.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading She had aroused all sorts of uncomfortable desires which Mary had thought were hidden deep beneath a weight of busy complacency.
whereconjunctionUS /wer/
in or at the place that
From this reading She had been busy all the afternoon helping Ursula to establish herself in the nursing-home where she was to await the arrival of her child.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading She had actually made Mary feel an interloper in the nursing-home she had visited all her life, by that air of off-hand familiarity with which she took possession of the whole staff.
whole
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She had actually made Mary feel an interloper in the nursing-home she had visited all her life, by that air of off-hand familiarity with which she took possession of the whole staff.
wind-swept
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE STRANGER AT THE CROSS-ROADS Mary drove home from Hardrascliffe along a dark, wind-swept road.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading She had actually made Mary feel an interloper in the nursing-home she had visited all her life, by that air of off-hand familiarity with which she took possession of the whole staff.
