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Chapter I
_A BABY_ had come, but he was not welcome. Could anything be sadder? The young mother lay with her white face to the wall, still as death. A woman opened the chamber door noiselessly and came in, the faint rustle of her garments disturbing the quiet air. A quick, eager turning of the head, a look half anxious, half fearful, and then the almost breathless question, “Where is my baby?”
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, audio, and collocations from this reading.
any thing at all
From this reading “Could anything be sadder?”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “_A BABY_ had come, but he was not welcome.”
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading “Could anything be sadder?”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “A quick, eager turning of the head, a look half anxious, half fearful, and then the almost breathless question, “Where is my baby?””
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “A quick, eager turning of the head, a look half anxious, half fearful, and then the almost breathless question, “Where is my baby?””
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading “A quick, eager turning of the head, a look half anxious, half fearful, and then the almost breathless question, “Where is my baby?””
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “The young mother lay with her white face to the wall, still as death.”
Every word is available to listen to. Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading _A BABY_ had come, but he was not welcome.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A woman opened the chamber door noiselessly and came in, the faint rustle of her garments disturbing the quiet air.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A quick, eager turning of the head, a look half anxious, half fearful, and then the almost breathless question, “Where is my baby?”
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading A woman opened the chamber door noiselessly and came in, the faint rustle of her garments disturbing the quiet air.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A quick, eager turning of the head, a look half anxious, half fearful, and then the almost breathless question, “Where is my baby?”
any thing at all
From this reading Could anything be sadder?
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The young mother lay with her white face to the wall, still as death.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _A BABY_ had come, but he was not welcome.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Could anything be sadder?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A quick, eager turning of the head, a look half anxious, half fearful, and then the almost breathless question, “Where is my baby?”
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading _A BABY_ had come, but he was not welcome.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A woman opened the chamber door noiselessly and came in, the faint rustle of her garments disturbing the quiet air.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A woman opened the chamber door noiselessly and came in, the faint rustle of her garments disturbing the quiet air.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading _A BABY_ had come, but he was not welcome.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Could anything be sadder?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The young mother lay with her white face to the wall, still as death.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A woman opened the chamber door noiselessly and came in, the faint rustle of her garments disturbing the quiet air.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A woman opened the chamber door noiselessly and came in, the faint rustle of her garments disturbing the quiet air.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A quick, eager turning of the head, a look half anxious, half fearful, and then the almost breathless question, “Where is my baby?”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The young mother lay with her white face to the wall, still as death.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A woman opened the chamber door noiselessly and came in, the faint rustle of her garments disturbing the quiet air.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A quick, eager turning of the head, a look half anxious, half fearful, and then the almost breathless question, “Where is my baby?”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A woman opened the chamber door noiselessly and came in, the faint rustle of her garments disturbing the quiet air.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading _A BABY_ had come, but he was not welcome.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading A quick, eager turning of the head, a look half anxious, half fearful, and then the almost breathless question, “Where is my baby?”
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading _A BABY_ had come, but he was not welcome.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A quick, eager turning of the head, a look half anxious, half fearful, and then the almost breathless question, “Where is my baby?”
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading The young mother lay with her white face to the wall, still as death.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading A woman opened the chamber door noiselessly and came in, the faint rustle of her garments disturbing the quiet air.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading A quick, eager turning of the head, a look half anxious, half fearful, and then the almost breathless question, “Where is my baby?”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The young mother lay with her white face to the wall, still as death.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading A quick, eager turning of the head, a look half anxious, half fearful, and then the almost breathless question, “Where is my baby?”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The young mother lay with her white face to the wall, still as death.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading A quick, eager turning of the head, a look half anxious, half fearful, and then the almost breathless question, “Where is my baby?”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A woman opened the chamber door noiselessly and came in, the faint rustle of her garments disturbing the quiet air.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading _A BABY_ had come, but he was not welcome.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A woman opened the chamber door noiselessly and came in, the faint rustle of her garments disturbing the quiet air.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A woman opened the chamber door noiselessly and came in, the faint rustle of her garments disturbing the quiet air.
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading A quick, eager turning of the head, a look half anxious, half fearful, and then the almost breathless question, “Where is my baby?”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A quick, eager turning of the head, a look half anxious, half fearful, and then the almost breathless question, “Where is my baby?”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A woman opened the chamber door noiselessly and came in, the faint rustle of her garments disturbing the quiet air.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A woman opened the chamber door noiselessly and came in, the faint rustle of her garments disturbing the quiet air.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Could anything be sadder?
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The young mother lay with her white face to the wall, still as death.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The young mother lay with her white face to the wall, still as death.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A quick, eager turning of the head, a look half anxious, half fearful, and then the almost breathless question, “Where is my baby?”
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The young mother lay with her white face to the wall, still as death.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A quick, eager turning of the head, a look half anxious, half fearful, and then the almost breathless question, “Where is my baby?”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The young mother lay with her white face to the wall, still as death.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading _A BABY_ had come, but he was not welcome.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _A BABY_ had come, but he was not welcome.
in or at the place that
From this reading A quick, eager turning of the head, a look half anxious, half fearful, and then the almost breathless question, “Where is my baby?”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The young mother lay with her white face to the wall, still as death.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The young mother lay with her white face to the wall, still as death.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A woman opened the chamber door noiselessly and came in, the faint rustle of her garments disturbing the quiet air.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The young mother lay with her white face to the wall, still as death.
