adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It was a large room, fitted, during the eighteenth century, with white painted shelves of an elegant design.
accessnounUS /ˈækses/
the right to enter
From this reading In the middle of one wall a door, ingeniously upholstered with rows of dummy books, gave access to a deep cupboard, where, among a pile of letter-files and old newspapers, the mummy-case of an Egyptian lady, brought back by the second Sir Ferdinando on his return from the Grand Tour, mouldered in the darkness.
adjournedverbUS /əˈdʒɜːrnd/
past form of “adjourn” — close at the end of a session
From this reading For their after-luncheon coffee the party generally adjourned to the library.
after-luncheon
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For their after-luncheon coffee the party generally adjourned to the library.
almostadverbUS /ˈɔːlmoʊst/
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading From ten yards away and at a first glance, one might almost have mistaken this secret door for a section of shelving filled with genuine books.
amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/
surrounded by; in the middle of a group
From this reading In the middle of one wall a door, ingeniously upholstered with rows of dummy books, gave access to a deep cupboard, where, among a pile of letter-files and old newspapers, the mummy-case of an Egyptian lady, brought back by the second Sir Ferdinando on his return from the Grand Tour, mouldered in the darkness.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading It was a large room, fitted, during the eighteenth century, with white painted shelves of an elegant design.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Its windows looked east, and at this hour of the day it was the coolest place in the whole house.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Its windows looked east, and at this hour of the day it was the coolest place in the whole house.
awayadverbUS /əˈweɪ/
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading From ten yards away and at a first glance, one might almost have mistaken this secret door for a section of shelving filled with genuine books.
backadverbUS /bæk/
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading In the middle of one wall a door, ingeniously upholstered with rows of dummy books, gave access to a deep cupboard, where, among a pile of letter-files and old newspapers, the mummy-case of an Egyptian lady, brought back by the second Sir Ferdinando on his return from the Grand Tour, mouldered in the darkness.
booksnounUS /bʊks/
Bound written or printed works.
From this reading In the middle of one wall a door, ingeniously upholstered with rows of dummy books, gave access to a deep cupboard, where, among a pile of letter-files and old newspapers, the mummy-case of an Egyptian lady, brought back by the second Sir Ferdinando on his return from the Grand Tour, mouldered in the darkness.
broughtverbUS /brɔːt/
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading In the middle of one wall a door, ingeniously upholstered with rows of dummy books, gave access to a deep cupboard, where, among a pile of letter-files and old newspapers, the mummy-case of an Egyptian lady, brought back by the second Sir Ferdinando on his return from the Grand Tour, mouldered in the darkness.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading In the middle of one wall a door, ingeniously upholstered with rows of dummy books, gave access to a deep cupboard, where, among a pile of letter-files and old newspapers, the mummy-case of an Egyptian lady, brought back by the second Sir Ferdinando on his return from the Grand Tour, mouldered in the darkness.
centurynounUS /ˈsentʃəri/
a period of 100 years
From this reading It was a large room, fitted, during the eighteenth century, with white painted shelves of an elegant design.
coffeenounUS /ˈkɑːfi/
a beverage consisting of an infusion of ground coffee beans
From this reading For their after-luncheon coffee the party generally adjourned to the library.
coolestadjectiveUS /ˈkuːləst/
superlative of “cool” — neither warm nor very cold; giving relief from heat
From this reading Its windows looked east, and at this hour of the day it was the coolest place in the whole house.
cupboardnounUS /ˈkʌbərd/
a small room (or recess) or cabinet used for storage space
From this reading In the middle of one wall a door, ingeniously upholstered with rows of dummy books, gave access to a deep cupboard, where, among a pile of letter-files and old newspapers, the mummy-case of an Egyptian lady, brought back by the second Sir Ferdinando on his return from the Grand Tour, mouldered in the darkness.
darknessnounUS /ˈdɑːrknəs/
absence of light or illumination
From this reading In the middle of one wall a door, ingeniously upholstered with rows of dummy books, gave access to a deep cupboard, where, among a pile of letter-files and old newspapers, the mummy-case of an Egyptian lady, brought back by the second Sir Ferdinando on his return from the Grand Tour, mouldered in the darkness.
daynounUS /deɪ/
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading Its windows looked east, and at this hour of the day it was the coolest place in the whole house.
deepadjectiveUS /diːp/
relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply
From this reading In the middle of one wall a door, ingeniously upholstered with rows of dummy books, gave access to a deep cupboard, where, among a pile of letter-files and old newspapers, the mummy-case of an Egyptian lady, brought back by the second Sir Ferdinando on his return from the Grand Tour, mouldered in the darkness.
designnounUS /dɪˈzaɪn/
the act of working out the form of something (as by making a sketch or outline or plan)
From this reading It was a large room, fitted, during the eighteenth century, with white painted shelves of an elegant design.
doornounUS /dɔːr/
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading In the middle of one wall a door, ingeniously upholstered with rows of dummy books, gave access to a deep cupboard, where, among a pile of letter-files and old newspapers, the mummy-case of an Egyptian lady, brought back by the second Sir Ferdinando on his return from the Grand Tour, mouldered in the darkness.
dummynounUS /ˈdʌmi/
a person who does not talk
From this reading In the middle of one wall a door, ingeniously upholstered with rows of dummy books, gave access to a deep cupboard, where, among a pile of letter-files and old newspapers, the mummy-case of an Egyptian lady, brought back by the second Sir Ferdinando on his return from the Grand Tour, mouldered in the darkness.
duringprepositionUS /ˈdʊrɪŋ/
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading It was a large room, fitted, during the eighteenth century, with white painted shelves of an elegant design.
eastnounUS /iːst/
the cardinal compass point that is at 90 degrees
From this reading Its windows looked east, and at this hour of the day it was the coolest place in the whole house.
EgyptiannounUS /ɪˈdʒɪpʃən/
a native or inhabitant of Egypt
From this reading In the middle of one wall a door, ingeniously upholstered with rows of dummy books, gave access to a deep cupboard, where, among a pile of letter-files and old newspapers, the mummy-case of an Egyptian lady, brought back by the second Sir Ferdinando on his return from the Grand Tour, mouldered in the darkness.
eighteenthadjectiveUS /eɪˈtiːnθ/
coming next after the seventeenth in position
From this reading It was a large room, fitted, during the eighteenth century, with white painted shelves of an elegant design.
elegantadjectiveUS /ˈeləɡənt/
refined and tasteful in appearance or behavior or style
From this reading It was a large room, fitted, during the eighteenth century, with white painted shelves of an elegant design.
Ferdinando
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the middle of one wall a door, ingeniously upholstered with rows of dummy books, gave access to a deep cupboard, where, among a pile of letter-files and old newspapers, the mummy-case of an Egyptian lady, brought back by the second Sir Ferdinando on his return from the Grand Tour, mouldered in the darkness.
filledadjectiveUS /fɪld/
(usually followed by “with” or used as a combining form) generously supplied with
From this reading From ten yards away and at a first glance, one might almost have mistaken this secret door for a section of shelving filled with genuine books.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading From ten yards away and at a first glance, one might almost have mistaken this secret door for a section of shelving filled with genuine books.
fittedadjectiveUS /ˈfɪtəd/
being the right size and shape to fit as desired
From this reading It was a large room, fitted, during the eighteenth century, with white painted shelves of an elegant design.
ForprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For their after-luncheon coffee the party generally adjourned to the library.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading In the middle of one wall a door, ingeniously upholstered with rows of dummy books, gave access to a deep cupboard, where, among a pile of letter-files and old newspapers, the mummy-case of an Egyptian lady, brought back by the second Sir Ferdinando on his return from the Grand Tour, mouldered in the darkness.
gaveverbUS /ɡeɪv/
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading In the middle of one wall a door, ingeniously upholstered with rows of dummy books, gave access to a deep cupboard, where, among a pile of letter-files and old newspapers, the mummy-case of an Egyptian lady, brought back by the second Sir Ferdinando on his return from the Grand Tour, mouldered in the darkness.
generallyadverbUS /ˈdʒenərəli/
usually; as a rule
From this reading For their after-luncheon coffee the party generally adjourned to the library.
genuineadjectiveUS /ˈdʒenjəwən/
not fake or counterfeit
From this reading From ten yards away and at a first glance, one might almost have mistaken this secret door for a section of shelving filled with genuine books.
glanceverbUS /ɡlæns/
throw a glance at; take a brief look at
From this reading From ten yards away and at a first glance, one might almost have mistaken this secret door for a section of shelving filled with genuine books.
GrandadjectiveUS /ɡrænd/
of behavior that is impressive and ambitious in scale or scope
From this reading In the middle of one wall a door, ingeniously upholstered with rows of dummy books, gave access to a deep cupboard, where, among a pile of letter-files and old newspapers, the mummy-case of an Egyptian lady, brought back by the second Sir Ferdinando on his return from the Grand Tour, mouldered in the darkness.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading From ten yards away and at a first glance, one might almost have mistaken this secret door for a section of shelving filled with genuine books.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading In the middle of one wall a door, ingeniously upholstered with rows of dummy books, gave access to a deep cupboard, where, among a pile of letter-files and old newspapers, the mummy-case of an Egyptian lady, brought back by the second Sir Ferdinando on his return from the Grand Tour, mouldered in the darkness.
hournounUS /ˈaʊər/
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading Its windows looked east, and at this hour of the day it was the coolest place in the whole house.
housenounUS /haʊs/
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading Its windows looked east, and at this hour of the day it was the coolest place in the whole house.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Its windows looked east, and at this hour of the day it was the coolest place in the whole house.
ingeniouslyadverbUS /ˌɪnˈdʒiːnjəsli/
in an ingenious manner
From this reading In the middle of one wall a door, ingeniously upholstered with rows of dummy books, gave access to a deep cupboard, where, among a pile of letter-files and old newspapers, the mummy-case of an Egyptian lady, brought back by the second Sir Ferdinando on his return from the Grand Tour, mouldered in the darkness.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Its windows looked east, and at this hour of the day it was the coolest place in the whole house.
ItsdeterminerUS /ɪts/
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading Its windows looked east, and at this hour of the day it was the coolest place in the whole house.
ladynounUS /ˈleɪdi/
a polite name for any woman
From this reading In the middle of one wall a door, ingeniously upholstered with rows of dummy books, gave access to a deep cupboard, where, among a pile of letter-files and old newspapers, the mummy-case of an Egyptian lady, brought back by the second Sir Ferdinando on his return from the Grand Tour, mouldered in the darkness.
largeadjectiveUS /lɑːrdʒ/
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading It was a large room, fitted, during the eighteenth century, with white painted shelves of an elegant design.
letter-files
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the middle of one wall a door, ingeniously upholstered with rows of dummy books, gave access to a deep cupboard, where, among a pile of letter-files and old newspapers, the mummy-case of an Egyptian lady, brought back by the second Sir Ferdinando on his return from the Grand Tour, mouldered in the darkness.
librarynounUS /ˈlaɪbreriː/
a room where books are kept
From this reading For their after-luncheon coffee the party generally adjourned to the library.
lookedverbUS /lʊkt/
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading Its windows looked east, and at this hour of the day it was the coolest place in the whole house.
middlenounUS /ˈmɪdəl/
an area that is approximately central within some larger region
From this reading In the middle of one wall a door, ingeniously upholstered with rows of dummy books, gave access to a deep cupboard, where, among a pile of letter-files and old newspapers, the mummy-case of an Egyptian lady, brought back by the second Sir Ferdinando on his return from the Grand Tour, mouldered in the darkness.
mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading From ten yards away and at a first glance, one might almost have mistaken this secret door for a section of shelving filled with genuine books.
mistakenadjectiveUS /mɪˈsteɪkən/
wrong in e.g. opinion or judgment
From this reading From ten yards away and at a first glance, one might almost have mistaken this secret door for a section of shelving filled with genuine books.
mouldered
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the middle of one wall a door, ingeniously upholstered with rows of dummy books, gave access to a deep cupboard, where, among a pile of letter-files and old newspapers, the mummy-case of an Egyptian lady, brought back by the second Sir Ferdinando on his return from the Grand Tour, mouldered in the darkness.
mummy-case
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the middle of one wall a door, ingeniously upholstered with rows of dummy books, gave access to a deep cupboard, where, among a pile of letter-files and old newspapers, the mummy-case of an Egyptian lady, brought back by the second Sir Ferdinando on his return from the Grand Tour, mouldered in the darkness.
newspapersnounUS /ˈnuːzpeɪpərz/
plural of “newspaper” — a daily or weekly publication on folded sheets; contains news and articles and advertisements
From this reading In the middle of one wall a door, ingeniously upholstered with rows of dummy books, gave access to a deep cupboard, where, among a pile of letter-files and old newspapers, the mummy-case of an Egyptian lady, brought back by the second Sir Ferdinando on his return from the Grand Tour, mouldered in the darkness.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Its windows looked east, and at this hour of the day it was the coolest place in the whole house.
oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading In the middle of one wall a door, ingeniously upholstered with rows of dummy books, gave access to a deep cupboard, where, among a pile of letter-files and old newspapers, the mummy-case of an Egyptian lady, brought back by the second Sir Ferdinando on his return from the Grand Tour, mouldered in the darkness.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading In the middle of one wall a door, ingeniously upholstered with rows of dummy books, gave access to a deep cupboard, where, among a pile of letter-files and old newspapers, the mummy-case of an Egyptian lady, brought back by the second Sir Ferdinando on his return from the Grand Tour, mouldered in the darkness.
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading In the middle of one wall a door, ingeniously upholstered with rows of dummy books, gave access to a deep cupboard, where, among a pile of letter-files and old newspapers, the mummy-case of an Egyptian lady, brought back by the second Sir Ferdinando on his return from the Grand Tour, mouldered in the darkness.
paintedadjectiveUS /ˈpeɪntɪd/
coated with paint
From this reading It was a large room, fitted, during the eighteenth century, with white painted shelves of an elegant design.
partynounUS /ˈpɑːrti/
an organization to gain political power
From this reading For their after-luncheon coffee the party generally adjourned to the library.
pilenounUS /paɪl/
a collection of objects laid on top of each other
From this reading In the middle of one wall a door, ingeniously upholstered with rows of dummy books, gave access to a deep cupboard, where, among a pile of letter-files and old newspapers, the mummy-case of an Egyptian lady, brought back by the second Sir Ferdinando on his return from the Grand Tour, mouldered in the darkness.
placenounUS /pleɪs/
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading Its windows looked east, and at this hour of the day it was the coolest place in the whole house.
returnverbUS /rɪˈtɜːrn/
go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading In the middle of one wall a door, ingeniously upholstered with rows of dummy books, gave access to a deep cupboard, where, among a pile of letter-files and old newspapers, the mummy-case of an Egyptian lady, brought back by the second Sir Ferdinando on his return from the Grand Tour, mouldered in the darkness.
roomnounUS /ruːm/
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading It was a large room, fitted, during the eighteenth century, with white painted shelves of an elegant design.
rowsnounUS /roʊz/
plural of “row” — an arrangement of objects or people side by side in a line
From this reading In the middle of one wall a door, ingeniously upholstered with rows of dummy books, gave access to a deep cupboard, where, among a pile of letter-files and old newspapers, the mummy-case of an Egyptian lady, brought back by the second Sir Ferdinando on his return from the Grand Tour, mouldered in the darkness.
secondnounUS /ˈsekənd/
1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading In the middle of one wall a door, ingeniously upholstered with rows of dummy books, gave access to a deep cupboard, where, among a pile of letter-files and old newspapers, the mummy-case of an Egyptian lady, brought back by the second Sir Ferdinando on his return from the Grand Tour, mouldered in the darkness.
secretnounUS /ˈsiː.krət/
Something that is kept or meant to be kept unknown or unseen by others.
From this reading From ten yards away and at a first glance, one might almost have mistaken this secret door for a section of shelving filled with genuine books.
sectionnounUS /ˈsekʃən/
a self-contained part of a larger composition (written or musical)
From this reading From ten yards away and at a first glance, one might almost have mistaken this secret door for a section of shelving filled with genuine books.
shelvesnounUS /ʃelvz/
Plural of shelf; the vast wooden or stone structures holding archives.
From this reading It was a large room, fitted, during the eighteenth century, with white painted shelves of an elegant design.
shelvingverbUS /ˈʃelvɪŋ/
-ing form of “shelve” — hold back to a later time
From this reading From ten yards away and at a first glance, one might almost have mistaken this secret door for a section of shelving filled with genuine books.
SirnounUS /sɜːr/
term of address for a man
From this reading In the middle of one wall a door, ingeniously upholstered with rows of dummy books, gave access to a deep cupboard, where, among a pile of letter-files and old newspapers, the mummy-case of an Egyptian lady, brought back by the second Sir Ferdinando on his return from the Grand Tour, mouldered in the darkness.
tennounUS /ten/
the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system
From this reading From ten yards away and at a first glance, one might almost have mistaken this secret door for a section of shelving filled with genuine books.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading For their after-luncheon coffee the party generally adjourned to the library.
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading For their after-luncheon coffee the party generally adjourned to the library.
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Its windows looked east, and at this hour of the day it was the coolest place in the whole house.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading For their after-luncheon coffee the party generally adjourned to the library.
TournounUS /tʊr/
a journey or route all the way around a particular place or area
From this reading In the middle of one wall a door, ingeniously upholstered with rows of dummy books, gave access to a deep cupboard, where, among a pile of letter-files and old newspapers, the mummy-case of an Egyptian lady, brought back by the second Sir Ferdinando on his return from the Grand Tour, mouldered in the darkness.
upholsteredverbUS /əˈpoʊlstərd/
past form of “upholster” — provide furniture with padding, springs, webbing, and covers
From this reading In the middle of one wall a door, ingeniously upholstered with rows of dummy books, gave access to a deep cupboard, where, among a pile of letter-files and old newspapers, the mummy-case of an Egyptian lady, brought back by the second Sir Ferdinando on his return from the Grand Tour, mouldered in the darkness.
wallnounUS /wɔːl/
an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure
From this reading In the middle of one wall a door, ingeniously upholstered with rows of dummy books, gave access to a deep cupboard, where, among a pile of letter-files and old newspapers, the mummy-case of an Egyptian lady, brought back by the second Sir Ferdinando on his return from the Grand Tour, mouldered in the darkness.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Its windows looked east, and at this hour of the day it was the coolest place in the whole house.
whereconjunctionUS /wer/
in or at the place that
From this reading In the middle of one wall a door, ingeniously upholstered with rows of dummy books, gave access to a deep cupboard, where, among a pile of letter-files and old newspapers, the mummy-case of an Egyptian lady, brought back by the second Sir Ferdinando on his return from the Grand Tour, mouldered in the darkness.
whitenounUS /waɪt/
a Caucasian
From this reading It was a large room, fitted, during the eighteenth century, with white painted shelves of an elegant design.
wholeadjectiveUS /hoʊl/
including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete
From this reading Its windows looked east, and at this hour of the day it was the coolest place in the whole house.
windowsnounUS /ˈwɪndoʊz/
(trademark) an operating system with a graphical user interface
From this reading Its windows looked east, and at this hour of the day it was the coolest place in the whole house.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading It was a large room, fitted, during the eighteenth century, with white painted shelves of an elegant design.
yardsnounUS /jɑːrdz/
plural of “yard” — a unit of length equal to 3 feet; defined as 91.44 centimeters; originally taken to be the average length of a stride
From this reading From ten yards away and at a first glance, one might almost have mistaken this secret door for a section of shelving filled with genuine books.
