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 She also shut the door and put up a wooden bar across it.
acrossprepositionUS /əˈkrɔːs/
from one side of something to the other
From this reading She also shut the door and put up a wooden bar across it.
also
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She also shut the door and put up a wooden bar across it.
Anastasia
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading While she was doing this she could hear Anastasia, the crazy paralytic who lived farther down the lane, singing a sort of mad litany of hunger to herself in the dark.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading When it was quite dark the old woman came back with something hidden under her tattered shawl, and Zoë drew the rotten shutters that barely hung by the hinges and fastened them inside with bits of rain-bleached cord that were knotted through holes in the wood.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading It was the thin nasal voice of a starving lunatic, rising sharply and then dying away in a tuneless wail:-- Holy Mother, send us a little food, for we are hungry!
away
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was the thin nasal voice of a starving lunatic, rising sharply and then dying away in a tuneless wail:-- Holy Mother, send us a little food, for we are hungry!
back
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When it was quite dark the old woman came back with something hidden under her tattered shawl, and Zoë drew the rotten shutters that barely hung by the hinges and fastened them inside with bits of rain-bleached cord that were knotted through holes in the wood.
bar
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She also shut the door and put up a wooden bar across it.
barely
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When it was quite dark the old woman came back with something hidden under her tattered shawl, and Zoë drew the rotten shutters that barely hung by the hinges and fastened them inside with bits of rain-bleached cord that were knotted through holes in the wood.
bits
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When it was quite dark the old woman came back with something hidden under her tattered shawl, and Zoë drew the rotten shutters that barely hung by the hinges and fastened them inside with bits of rain-bleached cord that were knotted through holes in the wood.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading When it was quite dark the old woman came back with something hidden under her tattered shawl, and Zoë drew the rotten shutters that barely hung by the hinges and fastened them inside with bits of rain-bleached cord that were knotted through holes in the wood.
came
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When it was quite dark the old woman came back with something hidden under her tattered shawl, and Zoë drew the rotten shutters that barely hung by the hinges and fastened them inside with bits of rain-bleached cord that were knotted through holes in the wood.
cord
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When it was quite dark the old woman came back with something hidden under her tattered shawl, and Zoë drew the rotten shutters that barely hung by the hinges and fastened them inside with bits of rain-bleached cord that were knotted through holes in the wood.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading While she was doing this she could hear Anastasia, the crazy paralytic who lived farther down the lane, singing a sort of mad litany of hunger to herself in the dark.
crazy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading While she was doing this she could hear Anastasia, the crazy paralytic who lived farther down the lane, singing a sort of mad litany of hunger to herself in the dark.
dark
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When it was quite dark the old woman came back with something hidden under her tattered shawl, and Zoë drew the rotten shutters that barely hung by the hinges and fastened them inside with bits of rain-bleached cord that were knotted through holes in the wood.
doing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading While she was doing this she could hear Anastasia, the crazy paralytic who lived farther down the lane, singing a sort of mad litany of hunger to herself in the dark.
door
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She also shut the door and put up a wooden bar across it.
down
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading While she was doing this she could hear Anastasia, the crazy paralytic who lived farther down the lane, singing a sort of mad litany of hunger to herself in the dark.
drewnounUS /drew/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading When it was quite dark the old woman came back with something hidden under her tattered shawl, and Zoë drew the rotten shutters that barely hung by the hinges and fastened them inside with bits of rain-bleached cord that were knotted through holes in the wood.
dying
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was the thin nasal voice of a starving lunatic, rising sharply and then dying away in a tuneless wail:-- Holy Mother, send us a little food, for we are hungry!
eleeison
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Kyrie eleeison!
farther
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading While she was doing this she could hear Anastasia, the crazy paralytic who lived farther down the lane, singing a sort of mad litany of hunger to herself in the dark.
fastened
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When it was quite dark the old woman came back with something hidden under her tattered shawl, and Zoë drew the rotten shutters that barely hung by the hinges and fastened them inside with bits of rain-bleached cord that were knotted through holes in the wood.
food
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was the thin nasal voice of a starving lunatic, rising sharply and then dying away in a tuneless wail:-- Holy Mother, send us a little food, for we are hungry!
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading It was the thin nasal voice of a starving lunatic, rising sharply and then dying away in a tuneless wail:-- Holy Mother, send us a little food, for we are hungry!
hearnounUS /hear/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading While she was doing this she could hear Anastasia, the crazy paralytic who lived farther down the lane, singing a sort of mad litany of hunger to herself in the dark.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading When it was quite dark the old woman came back with something hidden under her tattered shawl, and Zoë drew the rotten shutters that barely hung by the hinges and fastened them inside with bits of rain-bleached cord that were knotted through holes in the wood.
herselfpronounUS /hərˈself/
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading While she was doing this she could hear Anastasia, the crazy paralytic who lived farther down the lane, singing a sort of mad litany of hunger to herself in the dark.
hidden
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When it was quite dark the old woman came back with something hidden under her tattered shawl, and Zoë drew the rotten shutters that barely hung by the hinges and fastened them inside with bits of rain-bleached cord that were knotted through holes in the wood.
hinges
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When it was quite dark the old woman came back with something hidden under her tattered shawl, and Zoë drew the rotten shutters that barely hung by the hinges and fastened them inside with bits of rain-bleached cord that were knotted through holes in the wood.
holes
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When it was quite dark the old woman came back with something hidden under her tattered shawl, and Zoë drew the rotten shutters that barely hung by the hinges and fastened them inside with bits of rain-bleached cord that were knotted through holes in the wood.
Holy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was the thin nasal voice of a starving lunatic, rising sharply and then dying away in a tuneless wail:-- Holy Mother, send us a little food, for we are hungry!
hung
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When it was quite dark the old woman came back with something hidden under her tattered shawl, and Zoë drew the rotten shutters that barely hung by the hinges and fastened them inside with bits of rain-bleached cord that were knotted through holes in the wood.
hunger
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading While she was doing this she could hear Anastasia, the crazy paralytic who lived farther down the lane, singing a sort of mad litany of hunger to herself in the dark.
hungry
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was the thin nasal voice of a starving lunatic, rising sharply and then dying away in a tuneless wail:-- Holy Mother, send us a little food, for we are hungry!
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading When it was quite dark the old woman came back with something hidden under her tattered shawl, and Zoë drew the rotten shutters that barely hung by the hinges and fastened them inside with bits of rain-bleached cord that were knotted through holes in the wood.
inside
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When it was quite dark the old woman came back with something hidden under her tattered shawl, and Zoë drew the rotten shutters that barely hung by the hinges and fastened them inside with bits of rain-bleached cord that were knotted through holes in the wood.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading When it was quite dark the old woman came back with something hidden under her tattered shawl, and Zoë drew the rotten shutters that barely hung by the hinges and fastened them inside with bits of rain-bleached cord that were knotted through holes in the wood.
knotted
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When it was quite dark the old woman came back with something hidden under her tattered shawl, and Zoë drew the rotten shutters that barely hung by the hinges and fastened them inside with bits of rain-bleached cord that were knotted through holes in the wood.
Kyrie
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Kyrie eleeison!
lane
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading While she was doing this she could hear Anastasia, the crazy paralytic who lived farther down the lane, singing a sort of mad litany of hunger to herself in the dark.
litany
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading While she was doing this she could hear Anastasia, the crazy paralytic who lived farther down the lane, singing a sort of mad litany of hunger to herself in the dark.
littlenounUS /little/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading It was the thin nasal voice of a starving lunatic, rising sharply and then dying away in a tuneless wail:-- Holy Mother, send us a little food, for we are hungry!
lived
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading While she was doing this she could hear Anastasia, the crazy paralytic who lived farther down the lane, singing a sort of mad litany of hunger to herself in the dark.
lunatic
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was the thin nasal voice of a starving lunatic, rising sharply and then dying away in a tuneless wail:-- Holy Mother, send us a little food, for we are hungry!
mad
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading While she was doing this she could hear Anastasia, the crazy paralytic who lived farther down the lane, singing a sort of mad litany of hunger to herself in the dark.
Mother
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was the thin nasal voice of a starving lunatic, rising sharply and then dying away in a tuneless wail:-- Holy Mother, send us a little food, for we are hungry!
nasal
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was the thin nasal voice of a starving lunatic, rising sharply and then dying away in a tuneless wail:-- Holy Mother, send us a little food, for we are hungry!
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading When it was quite dark the old woman came back with something hidden under her tattered shawl, and Zoë drew the rotten shutters that barely hung by the hinges and fastened them inside with bits of rain-bleached cord that were knotted through holes in the wood.
old
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When it was quite dark the old woman came back with something hidden under her tattered shawl, and Zoë drew the rotten shutters that barely hung by the hinges and fastened them inside with bits of rain-bleached cord that were knotted through holes in the wood.
paralytic
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading While she was doing this she could hear Anastasia, the crazy paralytic who lived farther down the lane, singing a sort of mad litany of hunger to herself in the dark.
put
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She also shut the door and put up a wooden bar across it.
quitenounUS /quite/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading When it was quite dark the old woman came back with something hidden under her tattered shawl, and Zoë drew the rotten shutters that barely hung by the hinges and fastened them inside with bits of rain-bleached cord that were knotted through holes in the wood.
rain-bleached
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When it was quite dark the old woman came back with something hidden under her tattered shawl, and Zoë drew the rotten shutters that barely hung by the hinges and fastened them inside with bits of rain-bleached cord that were knotted through holes in the wood.
rising
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was the thin nasal voice of a starving lunatic, rising sharply and then dying away in a tuneless wail:-- Holy Mother, send us a little food, for we are hungry!
rotten
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When it was quite dark the old woman came back with something hidden under her tattered shawl, and Zoë drew the rotten shutters that barely hung by the hinges and fastened them inside with bits of rain-bleached cord that were knotted through holes in the wood.
send
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was the thin nasal voice of a starving lunatic, rising sharply and then dying away in a tuneless wail:-- Holy Mother, send us a little food, for we are hungry!
sharplynounUS /ˈsharply/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading It was the thin nasal voice of a starving lunatic, rising sharply and then dying away in a tuneless wail:-- Holy Mother, send us a little food, for we are hungry!
shawl
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When it was quite dark the old woman came back with something hidden under her tattered shawl, and Zoë drew the rotten shutters that barely hung by the hinges and fastened them inside with bits of rain-bleached cord that were knotted through holes in the wood.
ShepronounUS /ʃiː/
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She also shut the door and put up a wooden bar across it.
shut
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She also shut the door and put up a wooden bar across it.
shutters
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When it was quite dark the old woman came back with something hidden under her tattered shawl, and Zoë drew the rotten shutters that barely hung by the hinges and fastened them inside with bits of rain-bleached cord that were knotted through holes in the wood.
singing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading While she was doing this she could hear Anastasia, the crazy paralytic who lived farther down the lane, singing a sort of mad litany of hunger to herself in the dark.
somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/
a thing, without saying which
From this reading When it was quite dark the old woman came back with something hidden under her tattered shawl, and Zoë drew the rotten shutters that barely hung by the hinges and fastened them inside with bits of rain-bleached cord that were knotted through holes in the wood.
sort
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading While she was doing this she could hear Anastasia, the crazy paralytic who lived farther down the lane, singing a sort of mad litany of hunger to herself in the dark.
starving
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was the thin nasal voice of a starving lunatic, rising sharply and then dying away in a tuneless wail:-- Holy Mother, send us a little food, for we are hungry!
tattered
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When it was quite dark the old woman came back with something hidden under her tattered shawl, and Zoë drew the rotten shutters that barely hung by the hinges and fastened them inside with bits of rain-bleached cord that were knotted through holes in the wood.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading When it was quite dark the old woman came back with something hidden under her tattered shawl, and Zoë drew the rotten shutters that barely hung by the hinges and fastened them inside with bits of rain-bleached cord that were knotted through holes in the wood.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading When it was quite dark the old woman came back with something hidden under her tattered shawl, and Zoë drew the rotten shutters that barely hung by the hinges and fastened them inside with bits of rain-bleached cord that were knotted through holes in the wood.
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading When it was quite dark the old woman came back with something hidden under her tattered shawl, and Zoë drew the rotten shutters that barely hung by the hinges and fastened them inside with bits of rain-bleached cord that were knotted through holes in the wood.
then
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was the thin nasal voice of a starving lunatic, rising sharply and then dying away in a tuneless wail:-- Holy Mother, send us a little food, for we are hungry!
thinadjectiveUS /θɪn/
Having little thickness or extent.
From this reading It was the thin nasal voice of a starving lunatic, rising sharply and then dying away in a tuneless wail:-- Holy Mother, send us a little food, for we are hungry!
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading While she was doing this she could hear Anastasia, the crazy paralytic who lived farther down the lane, singing a sort of mad litany of hunger to herself in the dark.
throughnounUS /ˈthrough/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading When it was quite dark the old woman came back with something hidden under her tattered shawl, and Zoë drew the rotten shutters that barely hung by the hinges and fastened them inside with bits of rain-bleached cord that were knotted through holes in the wood.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading While she was doing this she could hear Anastasia, the crazy paralytic who lived farther down the lane, singing a sort of mad litany of hunger to herself in the dark.
tuneless
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was the thin nasal voice of a starving lunatic, rising sharply and then dying away in a tuneless wail:-- Holy Mother, send us a little food, for we are hungry!
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading When it was quite dark the old woman came back with something hidden under her tattered shawl, and Zoë drew the rotten shutters that barely hung by the hinges and fastened them inside with bits of rain-bleached cord that were knotted through holes in the wood.
up
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She also shut the door and put up a wooden bar across it.
uspronounUS /ʌs/
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading It was the thin nasal voice of a starving lunatic, rising sharply and then dying away in a tuneless wail:-- Holy Mother, send us a little food, for we are hungry!
voice
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was the thin nasal voice of a starving lunatic, rising sharply and then dying away in a tuneless wail:-- Holy Mother, send us a little food, for we are hungry!
wail
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was the thin nasal voice of a starving lunatic, rising sharply and then dying away in a tuneless wail:-- Holy Mother, send us a little food, for we are hungry!
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading When it was quite dark the old woman came back with something hidden under her tattered shawl, and Zoë drew the rotten shutters that barely hung by the hinges and fastened them inside with bits of rain-bleached cord that were knotted through holes in the wood.
wepronounUS /wiː/
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading It was the thin nasal voice of a starving lunatic, rising sharply and then dying away in a tuneless wail:-- Holy Mother, send us a little food, for we are hungry!
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading When it was quite dark the old woman came back with something hidden under her tattered shawl, and Zoë drew the rotten shutters that barely hung by the hinges and fastened them inside with bits of rain-bleached cord that were knotted through holes in the wood.
WhenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading When it was quite dark the old woman came back with something hidden under her tattered shawl, and Zoë drew the rotten shutters that barely hung by the hinges and fastened them inside with bits of rain-bleached cord that were knotted through holes in the wood.
WhileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading While she was doing this she could hear Anastasia, the crazy paralytic who lived farther down the lane, singing a sort of mad litany of hunger to herself in the dark.
whopronounUS /huː/
which person or people
From this reading While she was doing this she could hear Anastasia, the crazy paralytic who lived farther down the lane, singing a sort of mad litany of hunger to herself in the dark.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading When it was quite dark the old woman came back with something hidden under her tattered shawl, and Zoë drew the rotten shutters that barely hung by the hinges and fastened them inside with bits of rain-bleached cord that were knotted through holes in the wood.
woman
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When it was quite dark the old woman came back with something hidden under her tattered shawl, and Zoë drew the rotten shutters that barely hung by the hinges and fastened them inside with bits of rain-bleached cord that were knotted through holes in the wood.
wood
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When it was quite dark the old woman came back with something hidden under her tattered shawl, and Zoë drew the rotten shutters that barely hung by the hinges and fastened them inside with bits of rain-bleached cord that were knotted through holes in the wood.
wooden
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She also shut the door and put up a wooden bar across it.
Zoë
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When it was quite dark the old woman came back with something hidden under her tattered shawl, and Zoë drew the rotten shutters that barely hung by the hinges and fastened them inside with bits of rain-bleached cord that were knotted through holes in the wood.