Every word is available to listen to. Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.
adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Without attributing any great importance to the warning he had given him, Mr. Bernard had so far complied with his advice that he was becoming a pretty good shot with the pistol.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading The popping of a pistol at odd hours in the backyard of the Institute was a phenomenon more than sufficiently remarkable to be talked about in Rockland.
advice
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Without attributing any great importance to the warning he had given him, Mr. Bernard had so far complied with his advice that he was becoming a pretty good shot with the pistol.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading It was an amusement as good as many others to practise, and he had taken a fancy to it after the first few days.
amusement
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was an amusement as good as many others to practise, and he had taken a fancy to it after the first few days.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading It was an amusement as good as many others to practise, and he had taken a fancy to it after the first few days.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It was an amusement as good as many others to practise, and he had taken a fancy to it after the first few days.
any
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Without attributing any great importance to the warning he had given him, Mr. Bernard had so far complied with his advice that he was becoming a pretty good shot with the pistol.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading It was an amusement as good as many others to practise, and he had taken a fancy to it after the first few days.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The popping of a pistol at odd hours in the backyard of the Institute was a phenomenon more than sufficiently remarkable to be talked about in Rockland.
attributing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Without attributing any great importance to the warning he had given him, Mr. Bernard had so far complied with his advice that he was becoming a pretty good shot with the pistol.
backyard
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The popping of a pistol at odd hours in the backyard of the Institute was a phenomenon more than sufficiently remarkable to be talked about in Rockland.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading The popping of a pistol at odd hours in the backyard of the Institute was a phenomenon more than sufficiently remarkable to be talked about in Rockland.
becoming
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Without attributing any great importance to the warning he had given him, Mr. Bernard had so far complied with his advice that he was becoming a pretty good shot with the pistol.
Bernard
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Without attributing any great importance to the warning he had given him, Mr. Bernard had so far complied with his advice that he was becoming a pretty good shot with the pistol.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The viscous intelligence of a country-village is not easily stirred by the winds which ripple the fluent thought of great cities, but it holds every straw and entangles every insect that lights upon it.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The viscous intelligence of a country-village is not easily stirred by the winds which ripple the fluent thought of great cities, but it holds every straw and entangles every insect that lights upon it.
cautions
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The young master had not forgotten the old Doctor's cautions.
cities
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The viscous intelligence of a country-village is not easily stirred by the winds which ripple the fluent thought of great cities, but it holds every straw and entangles every insect that lights upon it.
complied
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Without attributing any great importance to the warning he had given him, Mr. Bernard had so far complied with his advice that he was becoming a pretty good shot with the pistol.
country-village
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The viscous intelligence of a country-village is not easily stirred by the winds which ripple the fluent thought of great cities, but it holds every straw and entangles every insect that lights upon it.
days
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was an amusement as good as many others to practise, and he had taken a fancy to it after the first few days.
Doctor's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The young master had not forgotten the old Doctor's cautions.
easily
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The viscous intelligence of a country-village is not easily stirred by the winds which ripple the fluent thought of great cities, but it holds every straw and entangles every insect that lights upon it.
entangles
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The viscous intelligence of a country-village is not easily stirred by the winds which ripple the fluent thought of great cities, but it holds every straw and entangles every insect that lights upon it.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading The viscous intelligence of a country-village is not easily stirred by the winds which ripple the fluent thought of great cities, but it holds every straw and entangles every insect that lights upon it.
fancy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was an amusement as good as many others to practise, and he had taken a fancy to it after the first few days.
far
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Without attributing any great importance to the warning he had given him, Mr. Bernard had so far complied with his advice that he was becoming a pretty good shot with the pistol.
few
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was an amusement as good as many others to practise, and he had taken a fancy to it after the first few days.
firstnounUS /first/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading It was an amusement as good as many others to practise, and he had taken a fancy to it after the first few days.
fluent
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The viscous intelligence of a country-village is not easily stirred by the winds which ripple the fluent thought of great cities, but it holds every straw and entangles every insect that lights upon it.
forgottenadjectiveUS /fərˈɡɑːt.n̩/
Not remembered; lapsed from memory.
From this reading The young master had not forgotten the old Doctor's cautions.
given
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Without attributing any great importance to the warning he had given him, Mr. Bernard had so far complied with his advice that he was becoming a pretty good shot with the pistol.
goodnounUS /good/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Without attributing any great importance to the warning he had given him, Mr. Bernard had so far complied with his advice that he was becoming a pretty good shot with the pistol.
greatnounUS /great/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Without attributing any great importance to the warning he had given him, Mr. Bernard had so far complied with his advice that he was becoming a pretty good shot with the pistol.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The young master had not forgotten the old Doctor's cautions.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Without attributing any great importance to the warning he had given him, Mr. Bernard had so far complied with his advice that he was becoming a pretty good shot with the pistol.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Without attributing any great importance to the warning he had given him, Mr. Bernard had so far complied with his advice that he was becoming a pretty good shot with the pistol.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Without attributing any great importance to the warning he had given him, Mr. Bernard had so far complied with his advice that he was becoming a pretty good shot with the pistol.
holds
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The viscous intelligence of a country-village is not easily stirred by the winds which ripple the fluent thought of great cities, but it holds every straw and entangles every insect that lights upon it.
hours
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The popping of a pistol at odd hours in the backyard of the Institute was a phenomenon more than sufficiently remarkable to be talked about in Rockland.
importance
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Without attributing any great importance to the warning he had given him, Mr. Bernard had so far complied with his advice that he was becoming a pretty good shot with the pistol.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The popping of a pistol at odd hours in the backyard of the Institute was a phenomenon more than sufficiently remarkable to be talked about in Rockland.
insect
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The viscous intelligence of a country-village is not easily stirred by the winds which ripple the fluent thought of great cities, but it holds every straw and entangles every insect that lights upon it.
Institute
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The popping of a pistol at odd hours in the backyard of the Institute was a phenomenon more than sufficiently remarkable to be talked about in Rockland.
intelligence
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The viscous intelligence of a country-village is not easily stirred by the winds which ripple the fluent thought of great cities, but it holds every straw and entangles every insect that lights upon it.
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The viscous intelligence of a country-village is not easily stirred by the winds which ripple the fluent thought of great cities, but it holds every straw and entangles every insect that lights upon it.
ItpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was an amusement as good as many others to practise, and he had taken a fancy to it after the first few days.
lights
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The viscous intelligence of a country-village is not easily stirred by the winds which ripple the fluent thought of great cities, but it holds every straw and entangles every insect that lights upon it.
many
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was an amusement as good as many others to practise, and he had taken a fancy to it after the first few days.
master
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The young master had not forgotten the old Doctor's cautions.
more
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The popping of a pistol at odd hours in the backyard of the Institute was a phenomenon more than sufficiently remarkable to be talked about in Rockland.
Mr
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Without attributing any great importance to the warning he had given him, Mr. Bernard had so far complied with his advice that he was becoming a pretty good shot with the pistol.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The young master had not forgotten the old Doctor's cautions.
odd
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The popping of a pistol at odd hours in the backyard of the Institute was a phenomenon more than sufficiently remarkable to be talked about in Rockland.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The popping of a pistol at odd hours in the backyard of the Institute was a phenomenon more than sufficiently remarkable to be talked about in Rockland.
old
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The young master had not forgotten the old Doctor's cautions.
others
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was an amusement as good as many others to practise, and he had taken a fancy to it after the first few days.
phenomenon
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The popping of a pistol at odd hours in the backyard of the Institute was a phenomenon more than sufficiently remarkable to be talked about in Rockland.
pistol
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Without attributing any great importance to the warning he had given him, Mr. Bernard had so far complied with his advice that he was becoming a pretty good shot with the pistol.
popping
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The popping of a pistol at odd hours in the backyard of the Institute was a phenomenon more than sufficiently remarkable to be talked about in Rockland.
practise
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was an amusement as good as many others to practise, and he had taken a fancy to it after the first few days.
pretty
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Without attributing any great importance to the warning he had given him, Mr. Bernard had so far complied with his advice that he was becoming a pretty good shot with the pistol.
remarkablenounUS /ˈremarkable/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading The popping of a pistol at odd hours in the backyard of the Institute was a phenomenon more than sufficiently remarkable to be talked about in Rockland.
ripple
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The viscous intelligence of a country-village is not easily stirred by the winds which ripple the fluent thought of great cities, but it holds every straw and entangles every insect that lights upon it.
Rockland
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The popping of a pistol at odd hours in the backyard of the Institute was a phenomenon more than sufficiently remarkable to be talked about in Rockland.
shot
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Without attributing any great importance to the warning he had given him, Mr. Bernard had so far complied with his advice that he was becoming a pretty good shot with the pistol.
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Without attributing any great importance to the warning he had given him, Mr. Bernard had so far complied with his advice that he was becoming a pretty good shot with the pistol.
stirred
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The viscous intelligence of a country-village is not easily stirred by the winds which ripple the fluent thought of great cities, but it holds every straw and entangles every insect that lights upon it.
straw
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The viscous intelligence of a country-village is not easily stirred by the winds which ripple the fluent thought of great cities, but it holds every straw and entangles every insect that lights upon it.
sufficiently
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The popping of a pistol at odd hours in the backyard of the Institute was a phenomenon more than sufficiently remarkable to be talked about in Rockland.
taken
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was an amusement as good as many others to practise, and he had taken a fancy to it after the first few days.
talked
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The popping of a pistol at odd hours in the backyard of the Institute was a phenomenon more than sufficiently remarkable to be talked about in Rockland.
thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading The popping of a pistol at odd hours in the backyard of the Institute was a phenomenon more than sufficiently remarkable to be talked about in Rockland.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Without attributing any great importance to the warning he had given him, Mr. Bernard had so far complied with his advice that he was becoming a pretty good shot with the pistol.
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The young master had not forgotten the old Doctor's cautions.
thoughtnounUS /thought/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The viscous intelligence of a country-village is not easily stirred by the winds which ripple the fluent thought of great cities, but it holds every straw and entangles every insect that lights upon it.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Without attributing any great importance to the warning he had given him, Mr. Bernard had so far complied with his advice that he was becoming a pretty good shot with the pistol.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading The viscous intelligence of a country-village is not easily stirred by the winds which ripple the fluent thought of great cities, but it holds every straw and entangles every insect that lights upon it.
viscous
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The viscous intelligence of a country-village is not easily stirred by the winds which ripple the fluent thought of great cities, but it holds every straw and entangles every insect that lights upon it.
warning
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Without attributing any great importance to the warning he had given him, Mr. Bernard had so far complied with his advice that he was becoming a pretty good shot with the pistol.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Without attributing any great importance to the warning he had given him, Mr. Bernard had so far complied with his advice that he was becoming a pretty good shot with the pistol.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The viscous intelligence of a country-village is not easily stirred by the winds which ripple the fluent thought of great cities, but it holds every straw and entangles every insect that lights upon it.
winds
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The viscous intelligence of a country-village is not easily stirred by the winds which ripple the fluent thought of great cities, but it holds every straw and entangles every insect that lights upon it.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading Without attributing any great importance to the warning he had given him, Mr. Bernard had so far complied with his advice that he was becoming a pretty good shot with the pistol.
WithoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading Without attributing any great importance to the warning he had given him, Mr. Bernard had so far complied with his advice that he was becoming a pretty good shot with the pistol.
young
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The young master had not forgotten the old Doctor's cautions.