adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading For nine years the wallet taken from his person had lain unopened in a hidden drawer of Mabel Dorrance's escritoire, and the half-guessed secret been hidden in her breast.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading Mammy Phillis had followed her mistress to the tomb, six months after her removal from her beloved cottage to the despised “quarters.”
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading For nine years the wallet taken from his person had lain unopened in a hidden drawer of Mabel Dorrance's escritoire, and the half-guessed secret been hidden in her breast.
Aylett
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She never held up her head from the day of her degradation, died from a broken heart, murmured those who best knew her--of a “fit of spleen,” said Mrs. Aylett, in cool reprehension of her unmannerly vassal.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading For nine years the wallet taken from his person had lain unopened in a hidden drawer of Mabel Dorrance's escritoire, and the half-guessed secret been hidden in her breast.
belovedadjectiveUS /bɪˈlʌvd/
dearly loved
From this reading Mammy Phillis had followed her mistress to the tomb, six months after her removal from her beloved cottage to the despised “quarters.”
bestnounUS /best/
the supreme effort one can make
From this reading She never held up her head from the day of her degradation, died from a broken heart, murmured those who best knew her--of a “fit of spleen,” said Mrs. Aylett, in cool reprehension of her unmannerly vassal.
breastnounUS /brest/
the front of the trunk from the neck to the abdomen
From this reading For nine years the wallet taken from his person had lain unopened in a hidden drawer of Mabel Dorrance's escritoire, and the half-guessed secret been hidden in her breast.
brokenadjectiveUS /ˈbroʊkən/
physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split
From this reading She never held up her head from the day of her degradation, died from a broken heart, murmured those who best knew her--of a “fit of spleen,” said Mrs. Aylett, in cool reprehension of her unmannerly vassal.
burial-ground
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE snows of ten winters had powdered the nameless stranger's grave in the servant's burial-ground of the Ridgeley plantation.
cooladjectiveUS /kuːl/
neither warm nor very cold; giving relief from heat
From this reading She never held up her head from the day of her degradation, died from a broken heart, murmured those who best knew her--of a “fit of spleen,” said Mrs. Aylett, in cool reprehension of her unmannerly vassal.
cottagenounUS /ˈkɑːtədʒ/
a small house with a single story
From this reading Mammy Phillis had followed her mistress to the tomb, six months after her removal from her beloved cottage to the despised “quarters.”
daynounUS /deɪ/
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading She never held up her head from the day of her degradation, died from a broken heart, murmured those who best knew her--of a “fit of spleen,” said Mrs. Aylett, in cool reprehension of her unmannerly vassal.
degradationnounUS /ˌdeɡrəˈdeɪʃən/
changing to a lower state (a less respected state)
From this reading She never held up her head from the day of her degradation, died from a broken heart, murmured those who best knew her--of a “fit of spleen,” said Mrs. Aylett, in cool reprehension of her unmannerly vassal.
despisedadjectiveUS /dɪˈspaɪzd/
treated with dislike or contempt
From this reading Mammy Phillis had followed her mistress to the tomb, six months after her removal from her beloved cottage to the despised “quarters.”
diedverbUS /daɪd/
past form of “die” — pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life
From this reading She never held up her head from the day of her degradation, died from a broken heart, murmured those who best knew her--of a “fit of spleen,” said Mrs. Aylett, in cool reprehension of her unmannerly vassal.
Dorrance's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For nine years the wallet taken from his person had lain unopened in a hidden drawer of Mabel Dorrance's escritoire, and the half-guessed secret been hidden in her breast.
drawernounUS /drɔːr/
a boxlike container in a piece of furniture; made so as to slide in and out
From this reading For nine years the wallet taken from his person had lain unopened in a hidden drawer of Mabel Dorrance's escritoire, and the half-guessed secret been hidden in her breast.
escritoirenoun
a desk used for writing
From this reading For nine years the wallet taken from his person had lain unopened in a hidden drawer of Mabel Dorrance's escritoire, and the half-guessed secret been hidden in her breast.
fitverbUS /fɪt/
be agreeable or acceptable to
From this reading She never held up her head from the day of her degradation, died from a broken heart, murmured those who best knew her--of a “fit of spleen,” said Mrs. Aylett, in cool reprehension of her unmannerly vassal.
followedverbUS /ˈfɑːloʊd/
past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after
From this reading Mammy Phillis had followed her mistress to the tomb, six months after her removal from her beloved cottage to the despised “quarters.”
ForprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For nine years the wallet taken from his person had lain unopened in a hidden drawer of Mabel Dorrance's escritoire, and the half-guessed secret been hidden in her breast.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading For nine years the wallet taken from his person had lain unopened in a hidden drawer of Mabel Dorrance's escritoire, and the half-guessed secret been hidden in her breast.
gravenounUS /ɡreɪv/
death of a person
From this reading THE snows of ten winters had powdered the nameless stranger's grave in the servant's burial-ground of the Ridgeley plantation.
guardedadjectiveUS /ˈɡɑːrdəd/
prudent
From this reading Mabel had guarded the mystery well.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading THE snows of ten winters had powdered the nameless stranger's grave in the servant's burial-ground of the Ridgeley plantation.
half-guessed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For nine years the wallet taken from his person had lain unopened in a hidden drawer of Mabel Dorrance's escritoire, and the half-guessed secret been hidden in her breast.
headnounUS /hed/
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading She never held up her head from the day of her degradation, died from a broken heart, murmured those who best knew her--of a “fit of spleen,” said Mrs. Aylett, in cool reprehension of her unmannerly vassal.
heartnounUS /hɑːrt/
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading She never held up her head from the day of her degradation, died from a broken heart, murmured those who best knew her--of a “fit of spleen,” said Mrs. Aylett, in cool reprehension of her unmannerly vassal.
heldadjectiveUS /held/
occupied or in the control of; often used in combination
From this reading She never held up her head from the day of her degradation, died from a broken heart, murmured those who best knew her--of a “fit of spleen,” said Mrs. Aylett, in cool reprehension of her unmannerly vassal.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading For nine years the wallet taken from his person had lain unopened in a hidden drawer of Mabel Dorrance's escritoire, and the half-guessed secret been hidden in her breast.
hiddenadjectiveUS /ˈhɪdən/
not accessible to view
From this reading For nine years the wallet taken from his person had lain unopened in a hidden drawer of Mabel Dorrance's escritoire, and the half-guessed secret been hidden in her breast.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading For nine years the wallet taken from his person had lain unopened in a hidden drawer of Mabel Dorrance's escritoire, and the half-guessed secret been hidden in her breast.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THE snows of ten winters had powdered the nameless stranger's grave in the servant's burial-ground of the Ridgeley plantation.
knewverbUS /nuː/
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading She never held up her head from the day of her degradation, died from a broken heart, murmured those who best knew her--of a “fit of spleen,” said Mrs. Aylett, in cool reprehension of her unmannerly vassal.
lainverbUS /leɪn/
inflected form of “lie” — be located or situated somewhere; occupy a certain position
From this reading For nine years the wallet taken from his person had lain unopened in a hidden drawer of Mabel Dorrance's escritoire, and the half-guessed secret been hidden in her breast.
Mabel
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For nine years the wallet taken from his person had lain unopened in a hidden drawer of Mabel Dorrance's escritoire, and the half-guessed secret been hidden in her breast.
Mammynoun
an offensive term for a Black nursemaid in the southern U.S.
From this reading Mammy Phillis had followed her mistress to the tomb, six months after her removal from her beloved cottage to the despised “quarters.”
mistressnounUS /ˈmɪstrəs/
an adulterous woman; a woman who has an ongoing extramarital sexual relationship with a man
From this reading Mammy Phillis had followed her mistress to the tomb, six months after her removal from her beloved cottage to the despised “quarters.”
monthsnounUS /mʌnθs/
plural of “month” — one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year
From this reading Mammy Phillis had followed her mistress to the tomb, six months after her removal from her beloved cottage to the despised “quarters.”
MrsnounUS /ˈmɪsɪz/
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading She never held up her head from the day of her degradation, died from a broken heart, murmured those who best knew her--of a “fit of spleen,” said Mrs. Aylett, in cool reprehension of her unmannerly vassal.
murmuredverbUS /ˈmɜːrmərd/
past form of “murmur” — speak softly or indistinctly
From this reading She never held up her head from the day of her degradation, died from a broken heart, murmured those who best knew her--of a “fit of spleen,” said Mrs. Aylett, in cool reprehension of her unmannerly vassal.
mysterynounUS /ˈmɪstəri/
something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained
From this reading Mabel had guarded the mystery well.
namelessadjectiveUS /ˈneɪm.ləs/
Having no name, or having a name that is kept secret or unknown.
From this reading THE snows of ten winters had powdered the nameless stranger's grave in the servant's burial-ground of the Ridgeley plantation.
neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading She never held up her head from the day of her degradation, died from a broken heart, murmured those who best knew her--of a “fit of spleen,” said Mrs. Aylett, in cool reprehension of her unmannerly vassal.
ninenounUS /naɪn/
the cardinal number that is the sum of eight and one
From this reading For nine years the wallet taken from his person had lain unopened in a hidden drawer of Mabel Dorrance's escritoire, and the half-guessed secret been hidden in her breast.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE snows of ten winters had powdered the nameless stranger's grave in the servant's burial-ground of the Ridgeley plantation.
personnounUS /ˈpɜːrsən/
a human being
From this reading For nine years the wallet taken from his person had lain unopened in a hidden drawer of Mabel Dorrance's escritoire, and the half-guessed secret been hidden in her breast.
Phillis
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mammy Phillis had followed her mistress to the tomb, six months after her removal from her beloved cottage to the despised “quarters.”
plantationnounUS /ˌplænˈteɪʃən/
an estate where cash crops are grown on a large scale (especially in tropical areas)
From this reading THE snows of ten winters had powdered the nameless stranger's grave in the servant's burial-ground of the Ridgeley plantation.
powderedadjectiveUS /ˈpaʊdərd/
consisting of fine particles
From this reading THE snows of ten winters had powdered the nameless stranger's grave in the servant's burial-ground of the Ridgeley plantation.
quartersnounUS /ˈkwɔːrtərz/
housing available for people to live in
From this reading Mammy Phillis had followed her mistress to the tomb, six months after her removal from her beloved cottage to the despised “quarters.”
removalnounUS /rɪˈmuːvəl/
the act of removing
From this reading Mammy Phillis had followed her mistress to the tomb, six months after her removal from her beloved cottage to the despised “quarters.”
reprehensionnoun
an act or expression of criticism and censure
From this reading She never held up her head from the day of her degradation, died from a broken heart, murmured those who best knew her--of a “fit of spleen,” said Mrs. Aylett, in cool reprehension of her unmannerly vassal.
Ridgeley
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE snows of ten winters had powdered the nameless stranger's grave in the servant's burial-ground of the Ridgeley plantation.
saidadjectiveUS /sed/
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading She never held up her head from the day of her degradation, died from a broken heart, murmured those who best knew her--of a “fit of spleen,” said Mrs. Aylett, in cool reprehension of her unmannerly vassal.
secretnounUS /ˈsiː.krət/
Something that is kept or meant to be kept unknown or unseen by others.
From this reading For nine years the wallet taken from his person had lain unopened in a hidden drawer of Mabel Dorrance's escritoire, and the half-guessed secret been hidden in her breast.
servant's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE snows of ten winters had powdered the nameless stranger's grave in the servant's burial-ground of the Ridgeley plantation.
ShepronounUS /ʃiː/
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She never held up her head from the day of her degradation, died from a broken heart, murmured those who best knew her--of a “fit of spleen,” said Mrs. Aylett, in cool reprehension of her unmannerly vassal.
sixnounUS /sɪks/
the cardinal number that is the sum of five and one
From this reading Mammy Phillis had followed her mistress to the tomb, six months after her removal from her beloved cottage to the despised “quarters.”
snowsnounUS /snoʊz/
plural of “snow” — precipitation falling from clouds in the form of ice crystals
From this reading THE snows of ten winters had powdered the nameless stranger's grave in the servant's burial-ground of the Ridgeley plantation.
spleennounUS /spliːn/
a large dark-red oval organ on the left side of the body between the stomach and the diaphragm; produces cells involved in immune responses
From this reading She never held up her head from the day of her degradation, died from a broken heart, murmured those who best knew her--of a “fit of spleen,” said Mrs. Aylett, in cool reprehension of her unmannerly vassal.
stranger'snounUS /ˈstreɪndʒərz/
possessive form of “stranger” — anyone who does not belong in the environment in which they are found
From this reading THE snows of ten winters had powdered the nameless stranger's grave in the servant's burial-ground of the Ridgeley plantation.
takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading For nine years the wallet taken from his person had lain unopened in a hidden drawer of Mabel Dorrance's escritoire, and the half-guessed secret been hidden in her breast.
tennounUS /ten/
the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system
From this reading THE snows of ten winters had powdered the nameless stranger's grave in the servant's burial-ground of the Ridgeley plantation.
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE snows of ten winters had powdered the nameless stranger's grave in the servant's burial-ground of the Ridgeley plantation.
thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading She never held up her head from the day of her degradation, died from a broken heart, murmured those who best knew her--of a “fit of spleen,” said Mrs. Aylett, in cool reprehension of her unmannerly vassal.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Mammy Phillis had followed her mistress to the tomb, six months after her removal from her beloved cottage to the despised “quarters.”
tombnounUS /tuːm/
a place for the burial of a corpse (especially beneath the ground and marked by a tombstone)
From this reading Mammy Phillis had followed her mistress to the tomb, six months after her removal from her beloved cottage to the despised “quarters.”
unmannerlyadjective
socially incorrect in behavior
From this reading She never held up her head from the day of her degradation, died from a broken heart, murmured those who best knew her--of a “fit of spleen,” said Mrs. Aylett, in cool reprehension of her unmannerly vassal.
unopenedadjectiveUS /əˈnoʊpənd/
not yet opened or unsealed
From this reading For nine years the wallet taken from his person had lain unopened in a hidden drawer of Mabel Dorrance's escritoire, and the half-guessed secret been hidden in her breast.
upadjectiveUS /ʌp/
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading She never held up her head from the day of her degradation, died from a broken heart, murmured those who best knew her--of a “fit of spleen,” said Mrs. Aylett, in cool reprehension of her unmannerly vassal.
vassalnounUS /ˈvæsəl/
a person holding a fief; a person who owes allegiance and service to a feudal lord
From this reading She never held up her head from the day of her degradation, died from a broken heart, murmured those who best knew her--of a “fit of spleen,” said Mrs. Aylett, in cool reprehension of her unmannerly vassal.
walletnounUS /ˈwɔːlət/
a pocket-size case for holding papers and paper money
From this reading For nine years the wallet taken from his person had lain unopened in a hidden drawer of Mabel Dorrance's escritoire, and the half-guessed secret been hidden in her breast.
welladverbUS /wel/
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading Mabel had guarded the mystery well.
whopronounUS /huː/
which person or people
From this reading She never held up her head from the day of her degradation, died from a broken heart, murmured those who best knew her--of a “fit of spleen,” said Mrs. Aylett, in cool reprehension of her unmannerly vassal.
wintersnounUS /ˈwɪntərz/
plural of “winter” — the coldest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the winter solstice to the vernal equinox
From this reading THE snows of ten winters had powdered the nameless stranger's grave in the servant's burial-ground of the Ridgeley plantation.
yearsnounUS /jɪrz/
a late time of life
From this reading For nine years the wallet taken from his person had lain unopened in a hidden drawer of Mabel Dorrance's escritoire, and the half-guessed secret been hidden in her breast.
