adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading After the first acute attack had passed, there followed, as a result of his drenching, a slow, tedious form of rheumatism which kept him shut up in the house, where he was forced to amuse himself as best he might.
accountnounUS /əˈkaʊnt/
a record or narrative description of past events
From this reading It was the last week in March, and the time had finally come for giving the long-discussed play, which had been delayed for some weeks on account of Alan's illness.
acuteadjectiveUS /əˈkjuːt/
having or experiencing a rapid onset and short but severe course
From this reading After the first acute attack had passed, there followed, as a result of his drenching, a slow, tedious form of rheumatism which kept him shut up in the house, where he was forced to amuse himself as best he might.
affairsnounUS /əˈferz/
matters of personal concern
From this reading This had been the state of affairs for more than a week, and Alan was becoming somewhat restless.
AfterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading After the first acute attack had passed, there followed, as a result of his drenching, a slow, tedious form of rheumatism which kept him shut up in the house, where he was forced to amuse himself as best he might.
Alan
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This had been the state of affairs for more than a week, and Alan was becoming somewhat restless.
Alan's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was the last week in March, and the time had finally come for giving the long-discussed play, which had been delayed for some weeks on account of Alan's illness.
amuseverbUS /əˈmjuːz/
occupy in an agreeable, entertaining or pleasant fashion
From this reading After the first acute attack had passed, there followed, as a result of his drenching, a slow, tedious form of rheumatism which kept him shut up in the house, where he was forced to amuse himself as best he might.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It was the last week in March, and the time had finally come for giving the long-discussed play, which had been delayed for some weeks on account of Alan's illness.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading After the first acute attack had passed, there followed, as a result of his drenching, a slow, tedious form of rheumatism which kept him shut up in the house, where he was forced to amuse himself as best he might.
attacknounUS /əˈtæk/
(military) an offensive against an enemy (using weapons)
From this reading After the first acute attack had passed, there followed, as a result of his drenching, a slow, tedious form of rheumatism which kept him shut up in the house, where he was forced to amuse himself as best he might.
becomingadjectiveUS /bɪˈkʌmɪŋ/
according with custom or propriety
From this reading This had been the state of affairs for more than a week, and Alan was becoming somewhat restless.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading It was the last week in March, and the time had finally come for giving the long-discussed play, which had been delayed for some weeks on account of Alan's illness.
bestnounUS /best/
the supreme effort one can make
From this reading After the first acute attack had passed, there followed, as a result of his drenching, a slow, tedious form of rheumatism which kept him shut up in the house, where he was forced to amuse himself as best he might.
betweenprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading His sister and cousins did what they could to make the time pass quickly and pleasantly; but between school and their cooking club and their frequent calls on Bridget, they had little time for the boy except during the evenings, and he was mainly left to the society of his mother.
boynounUS /bɔɪ/
a youthful male person
From this reading His sister and cousins did what they could to make the time pass quickly and pleasantly; but between school and their cooking club and their frequent calls on Bridget, they had little time for the boy except during the evenings, and he was mainly left to the society of his mother.
BridgetnounUS /ˈbrɪdʒət/
Irish abbess; a patron saint of Ireland (453-523)
From this reading His sister and cousins did what they could to make the time pass quickly and pleasantly; but between school and their cooking club and their frequent calls on Bridget, they had little time for the boy except during the evenings, and he was mainly left to the society of his mother.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading His sister and cousins did what they could to make the time pass quickly and pleasantly; but between school and their cooking club and their frequent calls on Bridget, they had little time for the boy except during the evenings, and he was mainly left to the society of his mother.
callsnounUS /kɔːlz/
plural of “call” — a telephone connection
From this reading His sister and cousins did what they could to make the time pass quickly and pleasantly; but between school and their cooking club and their frequent calls on Bridget, they had little time for the boy except during the evenings, and he was mainly left to the society of his mother.
clubnounUS /klʌb/
a team of professional baseball players who play and travel together
From this reading His sister and cousins did what they could to make the time pass quickly and pleasantly; but between school and their cooking club and their frequent calls on Bridget, they had little time for the boy except during the evenings, and he was mainly left to the society of his mother.
comeverbUS /kʌm/
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading It was the last week in March, and the time had finally come for giving the long-discussed play, which had been delayed for some weeks on account of Alan's illness.
cookingnounUS /ˈkʊkɪŋ/
the act of preparing something (as food) by the application of heat
From this reading His sister and cousins did what they could to make the time pass quickly and pleasantly; but between school and their cooking club and their frequent calls on Bridget, they had little time for the boy except during the evenings, and he was mainly left to the society of his mother.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading His sister and cousins did what they could to make the time pass quickly and pleasantly; but between school and their cooking club and their frequent calls on Bridget, they had little time for the boy except during the evenings, and he was mainly left to the society of his mother.
cousinsnounUS /ˈkʌzənz/
plural of “cousin” — the child of your aunt or uncle
From this reading His sister and cousins did what they could to make the time pass quickly and pleasantly; but between school and their cooking club and their frequent calls on Bridget, they had little time for the boy except during the evenings, and he was mainly left to the society of his mother.
delayedadjectiveUS /dɪˈleɪd/
not as far along as normal in development
From this reading It was the last week in March, and the time had finally come for giving the long-discussed play, which had been delayed for some weeks on account of Alan's illness.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading His sister and cousins did what they could to make the time pass quickly and pleasantly; but between school and their cooking club and their frequent calls on Bridget, they had little time for the boy except during the evenings, and he was mainly left to the society of his mother.
drenchingnounUS /ˈdrentʃɪŋ/
the act of making something completely wet
From this reading After the first acute attack had passed, there followed, as a result of his drenching, a slow, tedious form of rheumatism which kept him shut up in the house, where he was forced to amuse himself as best he might.
duringprepositionUS /ˈdʊrɪŋ/
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading His sister and cousins did what they could to make the time pass quickly and pleasantly; but between school and their cooking club and their frequent calls on Bridget, they had little time for the boy except during the evenings, and he was mainly left to the society of his mother.
eveningsnounUS /ˈiːvnɪŋz/
plural of “evening” — the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading His sister and cousins did what they could to make the time pass quickly and pleasantly; but between school and their cooking club and their frequent calls on Bridget, they had little time for the boy except during the evenings, and he was mainly left to the society of his mother.
exceptprepositionUS /ɪkˈsept/
apart from; not including
From this reading His sister and cousins did what they could to make the time pass quickly and pleasantly; but between school and their cooking club and their frequent calls on Bridget, they had little time for the boy except during the evenings, and he was mainly left to the society of his mother.
finallyadverbUS /ˈfaɪnəli/
after an unspecified period of time or an especially long delay
From this reading It was the last week in March, and the time had finally come for giving the long-discussed play, which had been delayed for some weeks on account of Alan's illness.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading After the first acute attack had passed, there followed, as a result of his drenching, a slow, tedious form of rheumatism which kept him shut up in the house, where he was forced to amuse himself as best he might.
followedverbUS /ˈfɑːloʊd/
past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after
From this reading After the first acute attack had passed, there followed, as a result of his drenching, a slow, tedious form of rheumatism which kept him shut up in the house, where he was forced to amuse himself as best he might.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading It was the last week in March, and the time had finally come for giving the long-discussed play, which had been delayed for some weeks on account of Alan's illness.
forcedadjectiveUS /fɔːrst/
produced by or subjected to forcing
From this reading After the first acute attack had passed, there followed, as a result of his drenching, a slow, tedious form of rheumatism which kept him shut up in the house, where he was forced to amuse himself as best he might.
formnounUS /fɔːrm/
the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word that can be used to describe or identify something
From this reading After the first acute attack had passed, there followed, as a result of his drenching, a slow, tedious form of rheumatism which kept him shut up in the house, where he was forced to amuse himself as best he might.
frequentverbUS /ˈfriːkwənt/
do one's shopping at; do business with; be a customer or client of
From this reading His sister and cousins did what they could to make the time pass quickly and pleasantly; but between school and their cooking club and their frequent calls on Bridget, they had little time for the boy except during the evenings, and he was mainly left to the society of his mother.
givingnounUS /ˈɡɪvɪŋ/
the act of giving
From this reading It was the last week in March, and the time had finally come for giving the long-discussed play, which had been delayed for some weeks on account of Alan's illness.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading It was the last week in March, and the time had finally come for giving the long-discussed play, which had been delayed for some weeks on account of Alan's illness.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading After the first acute attack had passed, there followed, as a result of his drenching, a slow, tedious form of rheumatism which kept him shut up in the house, where he was forced to amuse himself as best he might.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading After the first acute attack had passed, there followed, as a result of his drenching, a slow, tedious form of rheumatism which kept him shut up in the house, where he was forced to amuse himself as best he might.
himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading After the first acute attack had passed, there followed, as a result of his drenching, a slow, tedious form of rheumatism which kept him shut up in the house, where he was forced to amuse himself as best he might.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading After the first acute attack had passed, there followed, as a result of his drenching, a slow, tedious form of rheumatism which kept him shut up in the house, where he was forced to amuse himself as best he might.
housenounUS /haʊs/
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading After the first acute attack had passed, there followed, as a result of his drenching, a slow, tedious form of rheumatism which kept him shut up in the house, where he was forced to amuse himself as best he might.
illnessnounUS /ˈɪlnəs/
impairment of normal physiological function affecting part or all of an organism
From this reading It was the last week in March, and the time had finally come for giving the long-discussed play, which had been delayed for some weeks on account of Alan's illness.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading It was the last week in March, and the time had finally come for giving the long-discussed play, which had been delayed for some weeks on account of Alan's illness.
ItpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was the last week in March, and the time had finally come for giving the long-discussed play, which had been delayed for some weeks on account of Alan's illness.
keptadjectiveUS /kept/
(especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded
From this reading After the first acute attack had passed, there followed, as a result of his drenching, a slow, tedious form of rheumatism which kept him shut up in the house, where he was forced to amuse himself as best he might.
lastadjectiveUS /læst/
immediately past
From this reading It was the last week in March, and the time had finally come for giving the long-discussed play, which had been delayed for some weeks on account of Alan's illness.
leftnounUS /left/
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading His sister and cousins did what they could to make the time pass quickly and pleasantly; but between school and their cooking club and their frequent calls on Bridget, they had little time for the boy except during the evenings, and he was mainly left to the society of his mother.
littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading His sister and cousins did what they could to make the time pass quickly and pleasantly; but between school and their cooking club and their frequent calls on Bridget, they had little time for the boy except during the evenings, and he was mainly left to the society of his mother.
long-discussed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was the last week in March, and the time had finally come for giving the long-discussed play, which had been delayed for some weeks on account of Alan's illness.
mainlyadverbUS /ˈmeɪnli/
for the most part
From this reading His sister and cousins did what they could to make the time pass quickly and pleasantly; but between school and their cooking club and their frequent calls on Bridget, they had little time for the boy except during the evenings, and he was mainly left to the society of his mother.
makeverbUS /meɪk/
engage in
From this reading His sister and cousins did what they could to make the time pass quickly and pleasantly; but between school and their cooking club and their frequent calls on Bridget, they had little time for the boy except during the evenings, and he was mainly left to the society of his mother.
MarchverbUS /mɑːrtʃ/
march in a procession
From this reading It was the last week in March, and the time had finally come for giving the long-discussed play, which had been delayed for some weeks on account of Alan's illness.
mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading After the first acute attack had passed, there followed, as a result of his drenching, a slow, tedious form of rheumatism which kept him shut up in the house, where he was forced to amuse himself as best he might.
moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading This had been the state of affairs for more than a week, and Alan was becoming somewhat restless.
mothernounUS /ˈmʌðər/
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading His sister and cousins did what they could to make the time pass quickly and pleasantly; but between school and their cooking club and their frequent calls on Bridget, they had little time for the boy except during the evenings, and he was mainly left to the society of his mother.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It was the last week in March, and the time had finally come for giving the long-discussed play, which had been delayed for some weeks on account of Alan's illness.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading It was the last week in March, and the time had finally come for giving the long-discussed play, which had been delayed for some weeks on account of Alan's illness.
passverbUS /pæs/
go across or through
From this reading His sister and cousins did what they could to make the time pass quickly and pleasantly; but between school and their cooking club and their frequent calls on Bridget, they had little time for the boy except during the evenings, and he was mainly left to the society of his mother.
passedverbUS /pæst/
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading After the first acute attack had passed, there followed, as a result of his drenching, a slow, tedious form of rheumatism which kept him shut up in the house, where he was forced to amuse himself as best he might.
PLAYverbUS /pleɪ/
participate in games or sport
From this reading THE PLAY.
pleasantlyadverbUS /ˈplezəntli/
in a cheerful manner
From this reading His sister and cousins did what they could to make the time pass quickly and pleasantly; but between school and their cooking club and their frequent calls on Bridget, they had little time for the boy except during the evenings, and he was mainly left to the society of his mother.
quicklyadverbUS /ˈkwɪkli/
with speed
From this reading His sister and cousins did what they could to make the time pass quickly and pleasantly; but between school and their cooking club and their frequent calls on Bridget, they had little time for the boy except during the evenings, and he was mainly left to the society of his mother.
restlessadjectiveUS /ˈrestləs/
worried and uneasy
From this reading This had been the state of affairs for more than a week, and Alan was becoming somewhat restless.
resultnounUS /rɪˈzʌlt/
a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon
From this reading After the first acute attack had passed, there followed, as a result of his drenching, a slow, tedious form of rheumatism which kept him shut up in the house, where he was forced to amuse himself as best he might.
rheumatismnounUS /ˈruːmətɪzəm/
any painful disorder of the joints or muscles or connective tissues
From this reading After the first acute attack had passed, there followed, as a result of his drenching, a slow, tedious form of rheumatism which kept him shut up in the house, where he was forced to amuse himself as best he might.
schoolnounUS /skuːl/
an educational institution
From this reading His sister and cousins did what they could to make the time pass quickly and pleasantly; but between school and their cooking club and their frequent calls on Bridget, they had little time for the boy except during the evenings, and he was mainly left to the society of his mother.
shutverbUS /ʃʌt/
move so that an opening or passage is obstructed; make shut
From this reading After the first acute attack had passed, there followed, as a result of his drenching, a slow, tedious form of rheumatism which kept him shut up in the house, where he was forced to amuse himself as best he might.
sisternounUS /ˈsɪstər/
a female person who has the same parents as another person
From this reading His sister and cousins did what they could to make the time pass quickly and pleasantly; but between school and their cooking club and their frequent calls on Bridget, they had little time for the boy except during the evenings, and he was mainly left to the society of his mother.
slowadjectiveUS /sloʊ/
not moving quickly; taking a comparatively long time
From this reading After the first acute attack had passed, there followed, as a result of his drenching, a slow, tedious form of rheumatism which kept him shut up in the house, where he was forced to amuse himself as best he might.
societynounUS /səˈsaɪəti/
an extended social group having a distinctive cultural and economic organization
From this reading His sister and cousins did what they could to make the time pass quickly and pleasantly; but between school and their cooking club and their frequent calls on Bridget, they had little time for the boy except during the evenings, and he was mainly left to the society of his mother.
someadjectiveUS /sʌm/
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading It was the last week in March, and the time had finally come for giving the long-discussed play, which had been delayed for some weeks on account of Alan's illness.
somewhatadverbUS /ˈsʌmˈwʌt/
to a small degree or extent
From this reading This had been the state of affairs for more than a week, and Alan was becoming somewhat restless.
statenounUS /steɪt/
the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation
From this reading This had been the state of affairs for more than a week, and Alan was becoming somewhat restless.
tediousadjectiveUS /ˈtiːdiəs/
so lacking in interest as to cause mental weariness
From this reading After the first acute attack had passed, there followed, as a result of his drenching, a slow, tedious form of rheumatism which kept him shut up in the house, where he was forced to amuse himself as best he might.
thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading This had been the state of affairs for more than a week, and Alan was becoming somewhat restless.
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE PLAY.
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading His sister and cousins did what they could to make the time pass quickly and pleasantly; but between school and their cooking club and their frequent calls on Bridget, they had little time for the boy except during the evenings, and he was mainly left to the society of his mother.
thereadverbUS /ðer/
in or at that place or location
From this reading After the first acute attack had passed, there followed, as a result of his drenching, a slow, tedious form of rheumatism which kept him shut up in the house, where he was forced to amuse himself as best he might.
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading His sister and cousins did what they could to make the time pass quickly and pleasantly; but between school and their cooking club and their frequent calls on Bridget, they had little time for the boy except during the evenings, and he was mainly left to the society of his mother.
ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This had been the state of affairs for more than a week, and Alan was becoming somewhat restless.
timenounUS /taɪm/
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading It was the last week in March, and the time had finally come for giving the long-discussed play, which had been delayed for some weeks on account of Alan's illness.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading After the first acute attack had passed, there followed, as a result of his drenching, a slow, tedious form of rheumatism which kept him shut up in the house, where he was forced to amuse himself as best he might.
upadjectiveUS /ʌp/
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading After the first acute attack had passed, there followed, as a result of his drenching, a slow, tedious form of rheumatism which kept him shut up in the house, where he was forced to amuse himself as best he might.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was the last week in March, and the time had finally come for giving the long-discussed play, which had been delayed for some weeks on account of Alan's illness.
weeknounUS /wiːk/
any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading It was the last week in March, and the time had finally come for giving the long-discussed play, which had been delayed for some weeks on account of Alan's illness.
weeksnounUS /wiːks/
plural of “week” — any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading It was the last week in March, and the time had finally come for giving the long-discussed play, which had been delayed for some weeks on account of Alan's illness.
whatpronounUS /wʌt/
used to ask for information about something
From this reading His sister and cousins did what they could to make the time pass quickly and pleasantly; but between school and their cooking club and their frequent calls on Bridget, they had little time for the boy except during the evenings, and he was mainly left to the society of his mother.
whereconjunctionUS /wer/
in or at the place that
From this reading After the first acute attack had passed, there followed, as a result of his drenching, a slow, tedious form of rheumatism which kept him shut up in the house, where he was forced to amuse himself as best he might.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading It was the last week in March, and the time had finally come for giving the long-discussed play, which had been delayed for some weeks on account of Alan's illness.
