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 light proved to be a fire which had been made by a band of gypsies in a corner of a field.
aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading Suspended above the fire was an enormous cauldron from which this most delicious savor proceeded.
againnounUS /again/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading As Gervase and Anne approached, hope revived them again, since a most exquisite scent of food began to pervade their nostrils.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Suspended above the fire was an enormous cauldron from which this most delicious savor proceeded.
ancientadjectiveUS /ˈeɪn.ʃənt/
Belonging to the very distant past and no longer in existence or deeply revered.
From this reading Gervase staggered toward a very ancient crone who was stirring the contents of the cauldron with a long-handled iron spoon.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading As Gervase and Anne approached, hope revived them again, since a most exquisite scent of food began to pervade their nostrils.
Anne
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As Gervase and Anne approached, hope revived them again, since a most exquisite scent of food began to pervade their nostrils.
approached
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As Gervase and Anne approached, hope revived them again, since a most exquisite scent of food began to pervade their nostrils.
AsconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As Gervase and Anne approached, hope revived them again, since a most exquisite scent of food began to pervade their nostrils.
band
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE light proved to be a fire which had been made by a band of gypsies in a corner of a field.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading THE light proved to be a fire which had been made by a band of gypsies in a corner of a field.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading THE light proved to be a fire which had been made by a band of gypsies in a corner of a field.
begannounUS /began/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading As Gervase and Anne approached, hope revived them again, since a most exquisite scent of food began to pervade their nostrils.
bit
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “For love of God, good mother,” he said, “give us leave to lie by your fire a bit.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading THE light proved to be a fire which had been made by a band of gypsies in a corner of a field.
cauldron
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Suspended above the fire was an enormous cauldron from which this most delicious savor proceeded.
contents
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Gervase staggered toward a very ancient crone who was stirring the contents of the cauldron with a long-handled iron spoon.
corner
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE light proved to be a fire which had been made by a band of gypsies in a corner of a field.
crone
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Gervase staggered toward a very ancient crone who was stirring the contents of the cauldron with a long-handled iron spoon.
delicious
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Suspended above the fire was an enormous cauldron from which this most delicious savor proceeded.
enormous
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Suspended above the fire was an enormous cauldron from which this most delicious savor proceeded.
exquisite
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As Gervase and Anne approached, hope revived them again, since a most exquisite scent of food began to pervade their nostrils.
field
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE light proved to be a fire which had been made by a band of gypsies in a corner of a field.
fire
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE light proved to be a fire which had been made by a band of gypsies in a corner of a field.
food
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As Gervase and Anne approached, hope revived them again, since a most exquisite scent of food began to pervade their nostrils.
ForprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading “For love of God, good mother,” he said, “give us leave to lie by your fire a bit.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Suspended above the fire was an enormous cauldron from which this most delicious savor proceeded.
Gervase
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As Gervase and Anne approached, hope revived them again, since a most exquisite scent of food began to pervade their nostrils.
give
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “For love of God, good mother,” he said, “give us leave to lie by your fire a bit.
God
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “For love of God, good mother,” he said, “give us leave to lie by your fire a bit.
goodnounUS /good/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “For love of God, good mother,” he said, “give us leave to lie by your fire a bit.
gypsies
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE light proved to be a fire which had been made by a band of gypsies in a corner of a field.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading THE light proved to be a fire which had been made by a band of gypsies in a corner of a field.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “For love of God, good mother,” he said, “give us leave to lie by your fire a bit.
hope
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As Gervase and Anne approached, hope revived them again, since a most exquisite scent of food began to pervade their nostrils.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THE light proved to be a fire which had been made by a band of gypsies in a corner of a field.
iron
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Gervase staggered toward a very ancient crone who was stirring the contents of the cauldron with a long-handled iron spoon.
leave
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “For love of God, good mother,” he said, “give us leave to lie by your fire a bit.
lie
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “For love of God, good mother,” he said, “give us leave to lie by your fire a bit.
light
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE light proved to be a fire which had been made by a band of gypsies in a corner of a field.
long-handled
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Gervase staggered toward a very ancient crone who was stirring the contents of the cauldron with a long-handled iron spoon.
love
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “For love of God, good mother,” he said, “give us leave to lie by your fire a bit.
made
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE light proved to be a fire which had been made by a band of gypsies in a corner of a field.
most
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As Gervase and Anne approached, hope revived them again, since a most exquisite scent of food began to pervade their nostrils.
mother
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “For love of God, good mother,” he said, “give us leave to lie by your fire a bit.
nostrils
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As Gervase and Anne approached, hope revived them again, since a most exquisite scent of food began to pervade their nostrils.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE light proved to be a fire which had been made by a band of gypsies in a corner of a field.
pervade
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As Gervase and Anne approached, hope revived them again, since a most exquisite scent of food began to pervade their nostrils.
proceeded
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Suspended above the fire was an enormous cauldron from which this most delicious savor proceeded.
proved
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE light proved to be a fire which had been made by a band of gypsies in a corner of a field.
revived
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As Gervase and Anne approached, hope revived them again, since a most exquisite scent of food began to pervade their nostrils.
said
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “For love of God, good mother,” he said, “give us leave to lie by your fire a bit.
savor
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Suspended above the fire was an enormous cauldron from which this most delicious savor proceeded.
scentnounUS /sɛnt/
A distinctive smell or aroma.
From this reading As Gervase and Anne approached, hope revived them again, since a most exquisite scent of food began to pervade their nostrils.
sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/
from a time in the past until now
From this reading As Gervase and Anne approached, hope revived them again, since a most exquisite scent of food began to pervade their nostrils.
spoon
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Gervase staggered toward a very ancient crone who was stirring the contents of the cauldron with a long-handled iron spoon.
staggered
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Gervase staggered toward a very ancient crone who was stirring the contents of the cauldron with a long-handled iron spoon.
stirring
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Gervase staggered toward a very ancient crone who was stirring the contents of the cauldron with a long-handled iron spoon.
Suspended
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Suspended above the fire was an enormous cauldron from which this most delicious savor proceeded.
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE light proved to be a fire which had been made by a band of gypsies in a corner of a field.
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading As Gervase and Anne approached, hope revived them again, since a most exquisite scent of food began to pervade their nostrils.
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading As Gervase and Anne approached, hope revived them again, since a most exquisite scent of food began to pervade their nostrils.
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Suspended above the fire was an enormous cauldron from which this most delicious savor proceeded.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading THE light proved to be a fire which had been made by a band of gypsies in a corner of a field.
towardprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrd/
in the direction of
From this reading Gervase staggered toward a very ancient crone who was stirring the contents of the cauldron with a long-handled iron spoon.
uspronounUS /ʌs/
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “For love of God, good mother,” he said, “give us leave to lie by your fire a bit.
very
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Gervase staggered toward a very ancient crone who was stirring the contents of the cauldron with a long-handled iron spoon.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Suspended above the fire was an enormous cauldron from which this most delicious savor proceeded.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading THE light proved to be a fire which had been made by a band of gypsies in a corner of a field.
whopronounUS /huː/
which person or people
From this reading Gervase staggered toward a very ancient crone who was stirring the contents of the cauldron with a long-handled iron spoon.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading Gervase staggered toward a very ancient crone who was stirring the contents of the cauldron with a long-handled iron spoon.
yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “For love of God, good mother,” he said, “give us leave to lie by your fire a bit.
