adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading He was rather glad that they were all out; it was amusing to wander through the house as though one were exploring a dead, deserted Pompeii.
admitverbUS /ədˈmɪt/
declare to be true or admit the existence or reality or truth of
From this reading There was the long gallery, with its rows of respectable and (though, of course, one couldn’t publicly admit it) rather boring Italian primitives, its Chinese sculptures, its unobtrusive, dateless furniture.
AlladjectiveUS /ɔːl/
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading All was quiet; Denis wandered from room to empty room, looking with pleasure at the familiar pictures and furniture, at all the little untidy signs of life that lay scattered here and there.
amusingadjectiveUS /əˈmjuːzɪŋ/
providing enjoyment; pleasantly entertaining
From this reading He was rather glad that they were all out; it was amusing to wander through the house as though one were exploring a dead, deserted Pompeii.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading All was quiet; Denis wandered from room to empty room, looking with pleasure at the familiar pictures and furniture, at all the little untidy signs of life that lay scattered here and there.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading He was rather glad that they were all out; it was amusing to wander through the house as though one were exploring a dead, deserted Pompeii.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading All was quiet; Denis wandered from room to empty room, looking with pleasure at the familiar pictures and furniture, at all the little untidy signs of life that lay scattered here and there.
boringadjectiveUS /ˈbɔːrɪŋ/
so lacking in interest as to cause mental weariness
From this reading There was the long gallery, with its rows of respectable and (though, of course, one couldn’t publicly admit it) rather boring Italian primitives, its Chinese sculptures, its unobtrusive, dateless furniture.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading He took nobody by surprise; there was nobody to take.
chambersnounUS /ˈtʃeɪmbərz/
English architect (1723-1796)
From this reading What sort of life would the excavator reconstruct from these remains; how would he people these empty chambers?
ChinesenounUS /tʃaɪˈniːz/
any of the Sino-Tibetan languages spoken in China; regarded as dialects of a single language (even though they are mutually unintelligible) because they share an ideographic writing system
From this reading There was the long gallery, with its rows of respectable and (though, of course, one couldn’t publicly admit it) rather boring Italian primitives, its Chinese sculptures, its unobtrusive, dateless furniture.
couldn't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was the long gallery, with its rows of respectable and (though, of course, one couldn’t publicly admit it) rather boring Italian primitives, its Chinese sculptures, its unobtrusive, dateless furniture.
coursenounUS /kɔːrs/
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading There was the long gallery, with its rows of respectable and (though, of course, one couldn’t publicly admit it) rather boring Italian primitives, its Chinese sculptures, its unobtrusive, dateless furniture.
datelessadjective
having no known beginning and presumably no end
From this reading There was the long gallery, with its rows of respectable and (though, of course, one couldn’t publicly admit it) rather boring Italian primitives, its Chinese sculptures, its unobtrusive, dateless furniture.
deadadjectiveUS /ded/
no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life
From this reading He was rather glad that they were all out; it was amusing to wander through the house as though one were exploring a dead, deserted Pompeii.
Denis
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading All was quiet; Denis wandered from room to empty room, looking with pleasure at the familiar pictures and furniture, at all the little untidy signs of life that lay scattered here and there.
desertedadjectiveUS /dɪˈzɜːrtɪd/
forsaken by owner or inhabitants
From this reading He was rather glad that they were all out; it was amusing to wander through the house as though one were exploring a dead, deserted Pompeii.
emptyverbUS /ˈempti/
make void or empty of contents
From this reading All was quiet; Denis wandered from room to empty room, looking with pleasure at the familiar pictures and furniture, at all the little untidy signs of life that lay scattered here and there.
excavatornounUS /ˈekskəveɪtər/
a workman who excavates for foundations of buildings or for quarrying
From this reading What sort of life would the excavator reconstruct from these remains; how would he people these empty chambers?
exploringverbUS /ɪkˈsplɔːrɪŋ/
-ing form of “explore” — inquire into
From this reading He was rather glad that they were all out; it was amusing to wander through the house as though one were exploring a dead, deserted Pompeii.
familiaradjectiveUS /fəˈmɪljər/
well known or easily recognized
From this reading All was quiet; Denis wandered from room to empty room, looking with pleasure at the familiar pictures and furniture, at all the little untidy signs of life that lay scattered here and there.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading All was quiet; Denis wandered from room to empty room, looking with pleasure at the familiar pictures and furniture, at all the little untidy signs of life that lay scattered here and there.
furniturenounUS /ˈfɜːrnɪtʃər/
furnishings that make a room or other area ready for occupancy
From this reading All was quiet; Denis wandered from room to empty room, looking with pleasure at the familiar pictures and furniture, at all the little untidy signs of life that lay scattered here and there.
gallerynounUS /ˈɡæləri/
spectators at a golf or tennis match
From this reading There was the long gallery, with its rows of respectable and (though, of course, one couldn’t publicly admit it) rather boring Italian primitives, its Chinese sculptures, its unobtrusive, dateless furniture.
gladadjectiveUS /ɡlæd/
showing or causing joy and pleasure; especially made happy
From this reading He was rather glad that they were all out; it was amusing to wander through the house as though one were exploring a dead, deserted Pompeii.
HepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He took nobody by surprise; there was nobody to take.
hereadverbUS /hiːr/
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading All was quiet; Denis wandered from room to empty room, looking with pleasure at the familiar pictures and furniture, at all the little untidy signs of life that lay scattered here and there.
housenounUS /haʊs/
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading He was rather glad that they were all out; it was amusing to wander through the house as though one were exploring a dead, deserted Pompeii.
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading What sort of life would the excavator reconstruct from these remains; how would he people these empty chambers?
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading He was rather glad that they were all out; it was amusing to wander through the house as though one were exploring a dead, deserted Pompeii.
ItaliannounUS /ˌɪˈtæljən/
a native or inhabitant of Italy
From this reading There was the long gallery, with its rows of respectable and (though, of course, one couldn’t publicly admit it) rather boring Italian primitives, its Chinese sculptures, its unobtrusive, dateless furniture.
itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading There was the long gallery, with its rows of respectable and (though, of course, one couldn’t publicly admit it) rather boring Italian primitives, its Chinese sculptures, its unobtrusive, dateless furniture.
layverbUS /leɪ/
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading All was quiet; Denis wandered from room to empty room, looking with pleasure at the familiar pictures and furniture, at all the little untidy signs of life that lay scattered here and there.
lifenounUS /laɪf/
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading All was quiet; Denis wandered from room to empty room, looking with pleasure at the familiar pictures and furniture, at all the little untidy signs of life that lay scattered here and there.
littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading All was quiet; Denis wandered from room to empty room, looking with pleasure at the familiar pictures and furniture, at all the little untidy signs of life that lay scattered here and there.
longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading There was the long gallery, with its rows of respectable and (though, of course, one couldn’t publicly admit it) rather boring Italian primitives, its Chinese sculptures, its unobtrusive, dateless furniture.
lookingnounUS /ˈlʊkɪŋ/
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading All was quiet; Denis wandered from room to empty room, looking with pleasure at the familiar pictures and furniture, at all the little untidy signs of life that lay scattered here and there.
nobodypronounUS /ˈnoʊbɑːdiː/
no person; not anyone
From this reading He took nobody by surprise; there was nobody to take.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading All was quiet; Denis wandered from room to empty room, looking with pleasure at the familiar pictures and furniture, at all the little untidy signs of life that lay scattered here and there.
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading He was rather glad that they were all out; it was amusing to wander through the house as though one were exploring a dead, deserted Pompeii.
outadjectiveUS /aʊt/
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading He was rather glad that they were all out; it was amusing to wander through the house as though one were exploring a dead, deserted Pompeii.
peoplenounUS /ˈpiːpəl/
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading What sort of life would the excavator reconstruct from these remains; how would he people these empty chambers?
picturesnounUS /ˈpɪktʃərz/
plural of “picture” — a visual representation (of an object or scene or person or abstraction) produced on a surface
From this reading All was quiet; Denis wandered from room to empty room, looking with pleasure at the familiar pictures and furniture, at all the little untidy signs of life that lay scattered here and there.
pleasurenounUS /ˈpleʒər/
a fundamental feeling that is hard to define but that people desire to experience
From this reading All was quiet; Denis wandered from room to empty room, looking with pleasure at the familiar pictures and furniture, at all the little untidy signs of life that lay scattered here and there.
Pompeiinoun
ancient city to the southeast of Naples that was buried by a volcanic eruption from Vesuvius
From this reading He was rather glad that they were all out; it was amusing to wander through the house as though one were exploring a dead, deserted Pompeii.
primitives
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was the long gallery, with its rows of respectable and (though, of course, one couldn’t publicly admit it) rather boring Italian primitives, its Chinese sculptures, its unobtrusive, dateless furniture.
publiclyadverbUS /ˈpʌblɪkli/
in a manner accessible to or observable by the public; openly
From this reading There was the long gallery, with its rows of respectable and (though, of course, one couldn’t publicly admit it) rather boring Italian primitives, its Chinese sculptures, its unobtrusive, dateless furniture.
quietadjectiveUS /ˈkwaɪət/
characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity
From this reading All was quiet; Denis wandered from room to empty room, looking with pleasure at the familiar pictures and furniture, at all the little untidy signs of life that lay scattered here and there.
ratheradverbUS /ˈræðər/
on the contrary
From this reading He was rather glad that they were all out; it was amusing to wander through the house as though one were exploring a dead, deserted Pompeii.
reconstructverbUS /ˌriːkənˈstrʌkt/
reassemble mentally
From this reading What sort of life would the excavator reconstruct from these remains; how would he people these empty chambers?
remainsnounUS /rɪˈmeɪnz/
any object that is left unused or still extant
From this reading What sort of life would the excavator reconstruct from these remains; how would he people these empty chambers?
respectableadjectiveUS /rɪˈspektəbəl/
characterized by socially or conventionally acceptable morals
From this reading There was the long gallery, with its rows of respectable and (though, of course, one couldn’t publicly admit it) rather boring Italian primitives, its Chinese sculptures, its unobtrusive, dateless furniture.
roomnounUS /ruːm/
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading All was quiet; Denis wandered from room to empty room, looking with pleasure at the familiar pictures and furniture, at all the little untidy signs of life that lay scattered here and there.
rowsnounUS /roʊz/
plural of “row” — an arrangement of objects or people side by side in a line
From this reading There was the long gallery, with its rows of respectable and (though, of course, one couldn’t publicly admit it) rather boring Italian primitives, its Chinese sculptures, its unobtrusive, dateless furniture.
scatteredadjectiveUS /ˈskætərd/
occurring or distributed over widely spaced and irregular intervals in time or space
From this reading All was quiet; Denis wandered from room to empty room, looking with pleasure at the familiar pictures and furniture, at all the little untidy signs of life that lay scattered here and there.
sculpturesnounUS /ˈskʌlptʃərz/
plural of “sculpture” — a three-dimensional work of plastic art
From this reading There was the long gallery, with its rows of respectable and (though, of course, one couldn’t publicly admit it) rather boring Italian primitives, its Chinese sculptures, its unobtrusive, dateless furniture.
signsnounUS /saɪnz/
plural of “sign” — a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)
From this reading All was quiet; Denis wandered from room to empty room, looking with pleasure at the familiar pictures and furniture, at all the little untidy signs of life that lay scattered here and there.
sortnounUS /sɔːrt/
a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality
From this reading What sort of life would the excavator reconstruct from these remains; how would he people these empty chambers?
surprisenounUS /sərˈpraɪz/
the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you
From this reading He took nobody by surprise; there was nobody to take.
takeverbUS /teɪk/
carry out
From this reading He took nobody by surprise; there was nobody to take.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading All was quiet; Denis wandered from room to empty room, looking with pleasure at the familiar pictures and furniture, at all the little untidy signs of life that lay scattered here and there.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading All was quiet; Denis wandered from room to empty room, looking with pleasure at the familiar pictures and furniture, at all the little untidy signs of life that lay scattered here and there.
thereadverbUS /ðer/
in or at that place or location
From this reading He took nobody by surprise; there was nobody to take.
thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading What sort of life would the excavator reconstruct from these remains; how would he people these empty chambers?
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He was rather glad that they were all out; it was amusing to wander through the house as though one were exploring a dead, deserted Pompeii.
thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/
in spite of the fact that
From this reading He was rather glad that they were all out; it was amusing to wander through the house as though one were exploring a dead, deserted Pompeii.
throughprepositionUS /θruː/
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading He was rather glad that they were all out; it was amusing to wander through the house as though one were exploring a dead, deserted Pompeii.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He took nobody by surprise; there was nobody to take.
tookverbUS /tʊk/
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading He took nobody by surprise; there was nobody to take.
unobtrusiveadjectiveUS /ˌʌnəbˈtruːsɪv/
not obtrusive or undesirably noticeable
From this reading There was the long gallery, with its rows of respectable and (though, of course, one couldn’t publicly admit it) rather boring Italian primitives, its Chinese sculptures, its unobtrusive, dateless furniture.
untidyadjectiveUS /ənˈtaɪdi/
not neat and tidy
From this reading All was quiet; Denis wandered from room to empty room, looking with pleasure at the familiar pictures and furniture, at all the little untidy signs of life that lay scattered here and there.
wanderverbUS /ˈwɑːndər/
move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment
From this reading He was rather glad that they were all out; it was amusing to wander through the house as though one were exploring a dead, deserted Pompeii.
wanderedverbUS /ˈwɑːndərd/
past form of “wander” — move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment
From this reading All was quiet; Denis wandered from room to empty room, looking with pleasure at the familiar pictures and furniture, at all the little untidy signs of life that lay scattered here and there.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He took nobody by surprise; there was nobody to take.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading He was rather glad that they were all out; it was amusing to wander through the house as though one were exploring a dead, deserted Pompeii.
WhatpronounUS /wʌt/
used to ask for information about something
From this reading What sort of life would the excavator reconstruct from these remains; how would he people these empty chambers?
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading All was quiet; Denis wandered from room to empty room, looking with pleasure at the familiar pictures and furniture, at all the little untidy signs of life that lay scattered here and there.
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading What sort of life would the excavator reconstruct from these remains; how would he people these empty chambers?
