AdeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A TOWN PROMPTLY EMBELLISHED Eight years and a line of railway have sufficed to accomplish its metamorphosis.
accomplishverbUS /əˈkɑːmplɪʃ/
put in effect
From this reading A TOWN PROMPTLY EMBELLISHED Eight years and a line of railway have sufficed to accomplish its metamorphosis.
AfricanounUS /ˈæfrəkɑː/
the second largest continent; located to the south of Europe and bordered to the west by the South Atlantic and to the east by the Indian Ocean
From this reading The Nile, charged with the waters of equatorial Africa, flung itself close by from the height of a mass of black granite, in a majestic cataract; and then, before the little Arab houses, became suddenly calm again, and flowed between islets of fresh verdure where clusters of palm-trees swayed their plumes in the wind.
againadverbUS /əˈɡen/
anew
From this reading The Nile, charged with the waters of equatorial Africa, flung itself close by from the height of a mass of black granite, in a majestic cataract; and then, before the little Arab houses, became suddenly calm again, and flowed between islets of fresh verdure where clusters of palm-trees swayed their plumes in the wind.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading A TOWN PROMPTLY EMBELLISHED Eight years and a line of railway have sufficed to accomplish its metamorphosis.
ArabnounUS /ˈærəb/
a member of a Semitic people originally from the Arabian peninsula and surrounding territories who speaks Arabic and who inhabits much of the Middle East and northern Africa
From this reading The Nile, charged with the waters of equatorial Africa, flung itself close by from the height of a mass of black granite, in a majestic cataract; and then, before the little Arab houses, became suddenly calm again, and flowed between islets of fresh verdure where clusters of palm-trees swayed their plumes in the wind.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Once in Upper Egypt, on the borders of Nubia, there was a little humble town, rarely visited, and wanting, it must be owned, in elegance and even in comfort.
becameverbUS /bɪˈkeɪm/
inflected form of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading The Nile, charged with the waters of equatorial Africa, flung itself close by from the height of a mass of black granite, in a majestic cataract; and then, before the little Arab houses, became suddenly calm again, and flowed between islets of fresh verdure where clusters of palm-trees swayed their plumes in the wind.
beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/
earlier than; in front of
From this reading The Nile, charged with the waters of equatorial Africa, flung itself close by from the height of a mass of black granite, in a majestic cataract; and then, before the little Arab houses, became suddenly calm again, and flowed between islets of fresh verdure where clusters of palm-trees swayed their plumes in the wind.
betweenprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading The Nile, charged with the waters of equatorial Africa, flung itself close by from the height of a mass of black granite, in a majestic cataract; and then, before the little Arab houses, became suddenly calm again, and flowed between islets of fresh verdure where clusters of palm-trees swayed their plumes in the wind.
blackadjectiveUS /blæk/
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading The Nile, charged with the waters of equatorial Africa, flung itself close by from the height of a mass of black granite, in a majestic cataract; and then, before the little Arab houses, became suddenly calm again, and flowed between islets of fresh verdure where clusters of palm-trees swayed their plumes in the wind.
bordersnounUS /ˈbɔːrdərz/
plural of “border” — a line that indicates a boundary
From this reading Once in Upper Egypt, on the borders of Nubia, there was a little humble town, rarely visited, and wanting, it must be owned, in elegance and even in comfort.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The Nile, charged with the waters of equatorial Africa, flung itself close by from the height of a mass of black granite, in a majestic cataract; and then, before the little Arab houses, became suddenly calm again, and flowed between islets of fresh verdure where clusters of palm-trees swayed their plumes in the wind.
calmverbUS /kɑːm/
make calm or still
From this reading The Nile, charged with the waters of equatorial Africa, flung itself close by from the height of a mass of black granite, in a majestic cataract; and then, before the little Arab houses, became suddenly calm again, and flowed between islets of fresh verdure where clusters of palm-trees swayed their plumes in the wind.
cataractnounUS /ˈkætərækt/
an eye disease that involves the clouding or opacification of the natural lens of the eye
From this reading The Nile, charged with the waters of equatorial Africa, flung itself close by from the height of a mass of black granite, in a majestic cataract; and then, before the little Arab houses, became suddenly calm again, and flowed between islets of fresh verdure where clusters of palm-trees swayed their plumes in the wind.
chargedadjectiveUS /tʃɑːrdʒd/
of a particle or body or system; having a net amount of positive or negative electric charge
From this reading The Nile, charged with the waters of equatorial Africa, flung itself close by from the height of a mass of black granite, in a majestic cataract; and then, before the little Arab houses, became suddenly calm again, and flowed between islets of fresh verdure where clusters of palm-trees swayed their plumes in the wind.
closeadjectiveUS /kloʊs/
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading The Nile, charged with the waters of equatorial Africa, flung itself close by from the height of a mass of black granite, in a majestic cataract; and then, before the little Arab houses, became suddenly calm again, and flowed between islets of fresh verdure where clusters of palm-trees swayed their plumes in the wind.
clustersnounUS /ˈklʌstərz/
plural of “cluster” — a grouping of a number of similar things
From this reading The Nile, charged with the waters of equatorial Africa, flung itself close by from the height of a mass of black granite, in a majestic cataract; and then, before the little Arab houses, became suddenly calm again, and flowed between islets of fresh verdure where clusters of palm-trees swayed their plumes in the wind.
comfortnounUS /ˈkʌmfərt/
a state of being relaxed and feeling no pain
From this reading Once in Upper Egypt, on the borders of Nubia, there was a little humble town, rarely visited, and wanting, it must be owned, in elegance and even in comfort.
contraryadjectiveUS /ˈkɑːntreri/
very opposed in nature or character or purpose
From this reading Quite the contrary.
EgyptnounUS /ˈiːdʒəpt/
a republic in northeastern Africa known as the United Arab Republic until 1971; site of an ancient civilization that flourished from 2600 to 30 BC
From this reading Once in Upper Egypt, on the borders of Nubia, there was a little humble town, rarely visited, and wanting, it must be owned, in elegance and even in comfort.
EightadjectiveUS /eɪt/
being one more than seven
From this reading A TOWN PROMPTLY EMBELLISHED Eight years and a line of railway have sufficed to accomplish its metamorphosis.
elegancenounUS /ˈeləɡəns/
a refined quality of gracefulness and good taste
From this reading Once in Upper Egypt, on the borders of Nubia, there was a little humble town, rarely visited, and wanting, it must be owned, in elegance and even in comfort.
EMBELLISHEDverbUS /emˈbelɪʃt/
past form of “embellish” — add details to
From this reading A TOWN PROMPTLY EMBELLISHED Eight years and a line of railway have sufficed to accomplish its metamorphosis.
equatorialadjectiveUS /ˌiːkwəˈtɔːriəl/
of or relating to or at an equator
From this reading The Nile, charged with the waters of equatorial Africa, flung itself close by from the height of a mass of black granite, in a majestic cataract; and then, before the little Arab houses, became suddenly calm again, and flowed between islets of fresh verdure where clusters of palm-trees swayed their plumes in the wind.
evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/
divisible by two
From this reading Once in Upper Egypt, on the borders of Nubia, there was a little humble town, rarely visited, and wanting, it must be owned, in elegance and even in comfort.
flowedverbUS /floʊd/
past form of “flow” — move or progress freely as if in a stream
From this reading The Nile, charged with the waters of equatorial Africa, flung itself close by from the height of a mass of black granite, in a majestic cataract; and then, before the little Arab houses, became suddenly calm again, and flowed between islets of fresh verdure where clusters of palm-trees swayed their plumes in the wind.
flungverbUS /flʌŋ/
inflected form of “fling” — throw with force or recklessness
From this reading The Nile, charged with the waters of equatorial Africa, flung itself close by from the height of a mass of black granite, in a majestic cataract; and then, before the little Arab houses, became suddenly calm again, and flowed between islets of fresh verdure where clusters of palm-trees swayed their plumes in the wind.
freshadjectiveUS /freʃ/
recently made, produced, or harvested
From this reading The Nile, charged with the waters of equatorial Africa, flung itself close by from the height of a mass of black granite, in a majestic cataract; and then, before the little Arab houses, became suddenly calm again, and flowed between islets of fresh verdure where clusters of palm-trees swayed their plumes in the wind.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The Nile, charged with the waters of equatorial Africa, flung itself close by from the height of a mass of black granite, in a majestic cataract; and then, before the little Arab houses, became suddenly calm again, and flowed between islets of fresh verdure where clusters of palm-trees swayed their plumes in the wind.
granitenounUS /ˈɡrænət/
plutonic igneous rock having visibly crystalline texture; generally composed of feldspar and mica and quartz
From this reading The Nile, charged with the waters of equatorial Africa, flung itself close by from the height of a mass of black granite, in a majestic cataract; and then, before the little Arab houses, became suddenly calm again, and flowed between islets of fresh verdure where clusters of palm-trees swayed their plumes in the wind.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading A TOWN PROMPTLY EMBELLISHED Eight years and a line of railway have sufficed to accomplish its metamorphosis.
heightnounUS /haɪt/
the vertical dimension of extension; distance from the base of something to the top
From this reading The Nile, charged with the waters of equatorial Africa, flung itself close by from the height of a mass of black granite, in a majestic cataract; and then, before the little Arab houses, became suddenly calm again, and flowed between islets of fresh verdure where clusters of palm-trees swayed their plumes in the wind.
historicaladjectiveUS /hɪˈstɔːrɪkəl/
of or relating to the study of history
From this reading Not that it was without picturesqueness and historical interest.
housesnounUS /ˈhaʊsəz/
plural of “house” — a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading The Nile, charged with the waters of equatorial Africa, flung itself close by from the height of a mass of black granite, in a majestic cataract; and then, before the little Arab houses, became suddenly calm again, and flowed between islets of fresh verdure where clusters of palm-trees swayed their plumes in the wind.
humbleadjectiveUS /ˈhʌmbəl/
low or inferior in station or quality
From this reading Once in Upper Egypt, on the borders of Nubia, there was a little humble town, rarely visited, and wanting, it must be owned, in elegance and even in comfort.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Once in Upper Egypt, on the borders of Nubia, there was a little humble town, rarely visited, and wanting, it must be owned, in elegance and even in comfort.
interestnounUS /ˈɪntrəst/
a sense of concern with and curiosity about someone or something
From this reading Not that it was without picturesqueness and historical interest.
isletsnounUS /ˈaɪlɪts/
plural of “islet” — a small island
From this reading The Nile, charged with the waters of equatorial Africa, flung itself close by from the height of a mass of black granite, in a majestic cataract; and then, before the little Arab houses, became suddenly calm again, and flowed between islets of fresh verdure where clusters of palm-trees swayed their plumes in the wind.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Once in Upper Egypt, on the borders of Nubia, there was a little humble town, rarely visited, and wanting, it must be owned, in elegance and even in comfort.
itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading A TOWN PROMPTLY EMBELLISHED Eight years and a line of railway have sufficed to accomplish its metamorphosis.
itselfpronounUS /ˌɪtˈself/
used when the thing doing the action is also its object
From this reading The Nile, charged with the waters of equatorial Africa, flung itself close by from the height of a mass of black granite, in a majestic cataract; and then, before the little Arab houses, became suddenly calm again, and flowed between islets of fresh verdure where clusters of palm-trees swayed their plumes in the wind.
linenounUS /laɪn/
a formation of people or things one beside another
From this reading A TOWN PROMPTLY EMBELLISHED Eight years and a line of railway have sufficed to accomplish its metamorphosis.
littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Once in Upper Egypt, on the borders of Nubia, there was a little humble town, rarely visited, and wanting, it must be owned, in elegance and even in comfort.
majesticadjectiveUS /məˈdʒestɪk/
majestic in manner or bearing; superior to mundane matters
From this reading The Nile, charged with the waters of equatorial Africa, flung itself close by from the height of a mass of black granite, in a majestic cataract; and then, before the little Arab houses, became suddenly calm again, and flowed between islets of fresh verdure where clusters of palm-trees swayed their plumes in the wind.
massnounUS /mæs/
the property of a body that causes it to have weight in a gravitational field
From this reading The Nile, charged with the waters of equatorial Africa, flung itself close by from the height of a mass of black granite, in a majestic cataract; and then, before the little Arab houses, became suddenly calm again, and flowed between islets of fresh verdure where clusters of palm-trees swayed their plumes in the wind.
metamorphosisnounUS /ˌmet.əˈmɔːr.fə.sɪs/
A change of the form or nature of a thing or person into a completely different one.
From this reading A TOWN PROMPTLY EMBELLISHED Eight years and a line of railway have sufficed to accomplish its metamorphosis.
mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading Once in Upper Egypt, on the borders of Nubia, there was a little humble town, rarely visited, and wanting, it must be owned, in elegance and even in comfort.
NilenounUS /naɪl/
the world's longest river (4150 miles); flows northward through eastern Africa into the Mediterranean; the Nile River valley in Egypt was the site of the world's first great civilization
From this reading The Nile, charged with the waters of equatorial Africa, flung itself close by from the height of a mass of black granite, in a majestic cataract; and then, before the little Arab houses, became suddenly calm again, and flowed between islets of fresh verdure where clusters of palm-trees swayed their plumes in the wind.
NotadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Not that it was without picturesqueness and historical interest.
Nubianoun
an ancient region of northeastern Africa (southern Egypt and northern Sudan) on the Nile; much of Nubia is now under Lake Nasser
From this reading Once in Upper Egypt, on the borders of Nubia, there was a little humble town, rarely visited, and wanting, it must be owned, in elegance and even in comfort.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A TOWN PROMPTLY EMBELLISHED Eight years and a line of railway have sufficed to accomplish its metamorphosis.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Once in Upper Egypt, on the borders of Nubia, there was a little humble town, rarely visited, and wanting, it must be owned, in elegance and even in comfort.
OnceadverbUS /wʌns/
on one occasion
From this reading Once in Upper Egypt, on the borders of Nubia, there was a little humble town, rarely visited, and wanting, it must be owned, in elegance and even in comfort.
ownedadjectiveUS /oʊnd/
having an owner; often used in combination
From this reading Once in Upper Egypt, on the borders of Nubia, there was a little humble town, rarely visited, and wanting, it must be owned, in elegance and even in comfort.
palm-trees
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Nile, charged with the waters of equatorial Africa, flung itself close by from the height of a mass of black granite, in a majestic cataract; and then, before the little Arab houses, became suddenly calm again, and flowed between islets of fresh verdure where clusters of palm-trees swayed their plumes in the wind.
picturesquenessnoun
the quality of being strikingly expressive or vivid
From this reading Not that it was without picturesqueness and historical interest.
plumesnounUS /pluːmz/
plural of “plume” — anything that resembles a feather in shape or lightness
From this reading The Nile, charged with the waters of equatorial Africa, flung itself close by from the height of a mass of black granite, in a majestic cataract; and then, before the little Arab houses, became suddenly calm again, and flowed between islets of fresh verdure where clusters of palm-trees swayed their plumes in the wind.
PROMPTLYadverbUS /ˈprɑːmptli/
with little or no delay
From this reading A TOWN PROMPTLY EMBELLISHED Eight years and a line of railway have sufficed to accomplish its metamorphosis.
QuiteadverbUS /kwaɪt/
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading Quite the contrary.
railwaynounUS /ˈreɪlweɪ/
line that is the commercial organization responsible for operating a system of transportation for trains that pull passengers or freight
From this reading A TOWN PROMPTLY EMBELLISHED Eight years and a line of railway have sufficed to accomplish its metamorphosis.
rarelyadverbUS /ˈrerli/
not often
From this reading Once in Upper Egypt, on the borders of Nubia, there was a little humble town, rarely visited, and wanting, it must be owned, in elegance and even in comfort.
suddenlyadverbUS /ˈsʌdənli/
happening unexpectedly
From this reading The Nile, charged with the waters of equatorial Africa, flung itself close by from the height of a mass of black granite, in a majestic cataract; and then, before the little Arab houses, became suddenly calm again, and flowed between islets of fresh verdure where clusters of palm-trees swayed their plumes in the wind.
sufficedverbUS /səˈfaɪst/
past form of “suffice” — be sufficient; be adequate, either in quality or quantity
From this reading A TOWN PROMPTLY EMBELLISHED Eight years and a line of railway have sufficed to accomplish its metamorphosis.
swayedverbUS /sweɪd/
past form of “sway” — move back and forth or sideways
From this reading The Nile, charged with the waters of equatorial Africa, flung itself close by from the height of a mass of black granite, in a majestic cataract; and then, before the little Arab houses, became suddenly calm again, and flowed between islets of fresh verdure where clusters of palm-trees swayed their plumes in the wind.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Not that it was without picturesqueness and historical interest.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Once in Upper Egypt, on the borders of Nubia, there was a little humble town, rarely visited, and wanting, it must be owned, in elegance and even in comfort.
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading The Nile, charged with the waters of equatorial Africa, flung itself close by from the height of a mass of black granite, in a majestic cataract; and then, before the little Arab houses, became suddenly calm again, and flowed between islets of fresh verdure where clusters of palm-trees swayed their plumes in the wind.
thenadverbUS /ðen/
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading The Nile, charged with the waters of equatorial Africa, flung itself close by from the height of a mass of black granite, in a majestic cataract; and then, before the little Arab houses, became suddenly calm again, and flowed between islets of fresh verdure where clusters of palm-trees swayed their plumes in the wind.
thereadverbUS /ðer/
in or at that place or location
From this reading Once in Upper Egypt, on the borders of Nubia, there was a little humble town, rarely visited, and wanting, it must be owned, in elegance and even in comfort.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading A TOWN PROMPTLY EMBELLISHED Eight years and a line of railway have sufficed to accomplish its metamorphosis.
TOWNnounUS /taʊn/
an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city
From this reading A TOWN PROMPTLY EMBELLISHED Eight years and a line of railway have sufficed to accomplish its metamorphosis.
UpperadjectiveUS /ˈʌpər/
the topmost one of two
From this reading Once in Upper Egypt, on the borders of Nubia, there was a little humble town, rarely visited, and wanting, it must be owned, in elegance and even in comfort.
verdurenoun
green foliage
From this reading The Nile, charged with the waters of equatorial Africa, flung itself close by from the height of a mass of black granite, in a majestic cataract; and then, before the little Arab houses, became suddenly calm again, and flowed between islets of fresh verdure where clusters of palm-trees swayed their plumes in the wind.
visitedverbUS /ˈvɪzɪtɪd/
past form of “visit” — go to see a place, as for entertainment
From this reading Once in Upper Egypt, on the borders of Nubia, there was a little humble town, rarely visited, and wanting, it must be owned, in elegance and even in comfort.
wantingadjectiveUS /ˈwɑːntɪŋ/
nonexistent
From this reading Once in Upper Egypt, on the borders of Nubia, there was a little humble town, rarely visited, and wanting, it must be owned, in elegance and even in comfort.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Once in Upper Egypt, on the borders of Nubia, there was a little humble town, rarely visited, and wanting, it must be owned, in elegance and even in comfort.
watersnounUS /ˈwɔːtərz/
United States actress and singer (1896-1977)
From this reading The Nile, charged with the waters of equatorial Africa, flung itself close by from the height of a mass of black granite, in a majestic cataract; and then, before the little Arab houses, became suddenly calm again, and flowed between islets of fresh verdure where clusters of palm-trees swayed their plumes in the wind.
whereconjunctionUS /wer/
in or at the place that
From this reading The Nile, charged with the waters of equatorial Africa, flung itself close by from the height of a mass of black granite, in a majestic cataract; and then, before the little Arab houses, became suddenly calm again, and flowed between islets of fresh verdure where clusters of palm-trees swayed their plumes in the wind.
windnounUS /waɪnd/
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading The Nile, charged with the waters of equatorial Africa, flung itself close by from the height of a mass of black granite, in a majestic cataract; and then, before the little Arab houses, became suddenly calm again, and flowed between islets of fresh verdure where clusters of palm-trees swayed their plumes in the wind.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading The Nile, charged with the waters of equatorial Africa, flung itself close by from the height of a mass of black granite, in a majestic cataract; and then, before the little Arab houses, became suddenly calm again, and flowed between islets of fresh verdure where clusters of palm-trees swayed their plumes in the wind.
withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading Not that it was without picturesqueness and historical interest.
yearsnounUS /jɪrz/
a late time of life
From this reading A TOWN PROMPTLY EMBELLISHED Eight years and a line of railway have sufficed to accomplish its metamorphosis.
