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 THE TRAIN BUTCHER Mallory was dragging out a miserable existence with a companion who was neither maid, wife, nor widow and to whom he was neither bachelor, husband, nor relict.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading THE TRAIN BUTCHER Mallory was dragging out a miserable existence with a companion who was neither maid, wife, nor widow and to whom he was neither bachelor, husband, nor relict.
aside
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mallory sat in the smoking room, and threw aside a half-finished cigar.
bachelor
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From this reading THE TRAIN BUTCHER Mallory was dragging out a miserable existence with a companion who was neither maid, wife, nor widow and to whom he was neither bachelor, husband, nor relict.
beginningnounUS /ˈbeginning/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading Their contradictory chains were beginning to gall.
brain-fag
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They were suffering brain-fag from their one topic of conversation, and heart-fag from rapture deferred.
BUTCHER
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From this reading THE TRAIN BUTCHER Mallory was dragging out a miserable existence with a companion who was neither maid, wife, nor widow and to whom he was neither bachelor, husband, nor relict.
chains
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Their contradictory chains were beginning to gall.
cigar
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mallory sat in the smoking room, and threw aside a half-finished cigar.
companion
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE TRAIN BUTCHER Mallory was dragging out a miserable existence with a companion who was neither maid, wife, nor widow and to whom he was neither bachelor, husband, nor relict.
contradictory
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Their contradictory chains were beginning to gall.
conversation
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From this reading They were suffering brain-fag from their one topic of conversation, and heart-fag from rapture deferred.
deferred
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From this reading They were suffering brain-fag from their one topic of conversation, and heart-fag from rapture deferred.
dragging
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE TRAIN BUTCHER Mallory was dragging out a miserable existence with a companion who was neither maid, wife, nor widow and to whom he was neither bachelor, husband, nor relict.
existence
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE TRAIN BUTCHER Mallory was dragging out a miserable existence with a companion who was neither maid, wife, nor widow and to whom he was neither bachelor, husband, nor relict.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Marjorie had pretended to take a nap and Mallory had pretended that he would leave her for her own sake.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading They were suffering brain-fag from their one topic of conversation, and heart-fag from rapture deferred.
gallnounUS /ɡɔːl/
bitter feeling and anger; in the story, poison and bitterness
From this reading Their contradictory chains were beginning to gall.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Marjorie had pretended to take a nap and Mallory had pretended that he would leave her for her own sake.
half-finished
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mallory sat in the smoking room, and threw aside a half-finished cigar.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading THE TRAIN BUTCHER Mallory was dragging out a miserable existence with a companion who was neither maid, wife, nor widow and to whom he was neither bachelor, husband, nor relict.
heart-fag
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They were suffering brain-fag from their one topic of conversation, and heart-fag from rapture deferred.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Marjorie had pretended to take a nap and Mallory had pretended that he would leave her for her own sake.
husband
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE TRAIN BUTCHER Mallory was dragging out a miserable existence with a companion who was neither maid, wife, nor widow and to whom he was neither bachelor, husband, nor relict.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Mallory sat in the smoking room, and threw aside a half-finished cigar.
leave
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Marjorie had pretended to take a nap and Mallory had pretended that he would leave her for her own sake.
maid
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE TRAIN BUTCHER Mallory was dragging out a miserable existence with a companion who was neither maid, wife, nor widow and to whom he was neither bachelor, husband, nor relict.
Mallory
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE TRAIN BUTCHER Mallory was dragging out a miserable existence with a companion who was neither maid, wife, nor widow and to whom he was neither bachelor, husband, nor relict.
Marjorie
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Marjorie had pretended to take a nap and Mallory had pretended that he would leave her for her own sake.
miserable
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE TRAIN BUTCHER Mallory was dragging out a miserable existence with a companion who was neither maid, wife, nor widow and to whom he was neither bachelor, husband, nor relict.
nap
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Marjorie had pretended to take a nap and Mallory had pretended that he would leave her for her own sake.
neitherdeterminerUS /ˈniːðər/
not one and not the other of two
From this reading THE TRAIN BUTCHER Mallory was dragging out a miserable existence with a companion who was neither maid, wife, nor widow and to whom he was neither bachelor, husband, nor relict.
norconjunctionUS /nɔːr/
and not; used after a negative to add a second negative
From this reading THE TRAIN BUTCHER Mallory was dragging out a miserable existence with a companion who was neither maid, wife, nor widow and to whom he was neither bachelor, husband, nor relict.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading They were suffering brain-fag from their one topic of conversation, and heart-fag from rapture deferred.
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading They were suffering brain-fag from their one topic of conversation, and heart-fag from rapture deferred.
out
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE TRAIN BUTCHER Mallory was dragging out a miserable existence with a companion who was neither maid, wife, nor widow and to whom he was neither bachelor, husband, nor relict.
own
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Marjorie had pretended to take a nap and Mallory had pretended that he would leave her for her own sake.
pretended
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Marjorie had pretended to take a nap and Mallory had pretended that he would leave her for her own sake.
rapture
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They were suffering brain-fag from their one topic of conversation, and heart-fag from rapture deferred.
relict
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE TRAIN BUTCHER Mallory was dragging out a miserable existence with a companion who was neither maid, wife, nor widow and to whom he was neither bachelor, husband, nor relict.
room
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mallory sat in the smoking room, and threw aside a half-finished cigar.
sake
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Marjorie had pretended to take a nap and Mallory had pretended that he would leave her for her own sake.
sat
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mallory sat in the smoking room, and threw aside a half-finished cigar.
smokingnounUS /ˈsmoking/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading Mallory sat in the smoking room, and threw aside a half-finished cigar.
suffering
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They were suffering brain-fag from their one topic of conversation, and heart-fag from rapture deferred.
takenounUS /take/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Marjorie had pretended to take a nap and Mallory had pretended that he would leave her for her own sake.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Marjorie had pretended to take a nap and Mallory had pretended that he would leave her for her own sake.
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE TRAIN BUTCHER Mallory was dragging out a miserable existence with a companion who was neither maid, wife, nor widow and to whom he was neither bachelor, husband, nor relict.
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading They were suffering brain-fag from their one topic of conversation, and heart-fag from rapture deferred.
TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They were suffering brain-fag from their one topic of conversation, and heart-fag from rapture deferred.
threw
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mallory sat in the smoking room, and threw aside a half-finished cigar.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading THE TRAIN BUTCHER Mallory was dragging out a miserable existence with a companion who was neither maid, wife, nor widow and to whom he was neither bachelor, husband, nor relict.
topic
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They were suffering brain-fag from their one topic of conversation, and heart-fag from rapture deferred.
TRAIN
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE TRAIN BUTCHER Mallory was dragging out a miserable existence with a companion who was neither maid, wife, nor widow and to whom he was neither bachelor, husband, nor relict.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading THE TRAIN BUTCHER Mallory was dragging out a miserable existence with a companion who was neither maid, wife, nor widow and to whom he was neither bachelor, husband, nor relict.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading They were suffering brain-fag from their one topic of conversation, and heart-fag from rapture deferred.
whopronounUS /huː/
which person or people
From this reading THE TRAIN BUTCHER Mallory was dragging out a miserable existence with a companion who was neither maid, wife, nor widow and to whom he was neither bachelor, husband, nor relict.
whompronounUS /huːm/
the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading THE TRAIN BUTCHER Mallory was dragging out a miserable existence with a companion who was neither maid, wife, nor widow and to whom he was neither bachelor, husband, nor relict.
widow
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE TRAIN BUTCHER Mallory was dragging out a miserable existence with a companion who was neither maid, wife, nor widow and to whom he was neither bachelor, husband, nor relict.
wife
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE TRAIN BUTCHER Mallory was dragging out a miserable existence with a companion who was neither maid, wife, nor widow and to whom he was neither bachelor, husband, nor relict.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading THE TRAIN BUTCHER Mallory was dragging out a miserable existence with a companion who was neither maid, wife, nor widow and to whom he was neither bachelor, husband, nor relict.
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Marjorie had pretended to take a nap and Mallory had pretended that he would leave her for her own sake.
