adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The Age of Property holds bitter moments even for a proprietor.
againadverbUS /əˈɡen/
anew
From this reading Chairs, tables, pictures, books, that had rumbled down to them through the generations, must rumble forward again like a slide of rubbish to which she longed to give the final push, and send toppling into the sea.
AgenounUS /eɪdʒ/
how long something has existed
From this reading The Age of Property holds bitter moments even for a proprietor.
alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading When a move is imminent, furniture becomes ridiculous, and Margaret now lay awake at nights wondering where, where on earth they and all their belongings would be deposited in September next.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading When a move is imminent, furniture becomes ridiculous, and Margaret now lay awake at nights wondering where, where on earth they and all their belongings would be deposited in September next.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading When a move is imminent, furniture becomes ridiculous, and Margaret now lay awake at nights wondering where, where on earth they and all their belongings would be deposited in September next.
awakeadjectiveUS /əˈweɪk/
not in a state of sleep; completely conscious
From this reading When a move is imminent, furniture becomes ridiculous, and Margaret now lay awake at nights wondering where, where on earth they and all their belongings would be deposited in September next.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading When a move is imminent, furniture becomes ridiculous, and Margaret now lay awake at nights wondering where, where on earth they and all their belongings would be deposited in September next.
becomesverbUS /bɪˈkʌmz/
third-person singular of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading When a move is imminent, furniture becomes ridiculous, and Margaret now lay awake at nights wondering where, where on earth they and all their belongings would be deposited in September next.
belongingsnounUS /bɪˈlɔːŋɪŋz/
something owned; any tangible or intangible possession that is owned by someone
From this reading When a move is imminent, furniture becomes ridiculous, and Margaret now lay awake at nights wondering where, where on earth they and all their belongings would be deposited in September next.
bitteradjectiveUS /ˈbɪtər/
marked by strong resentment or cynicism
From this reading The Age of Property holds bitter moments even for a proprietor.
booksnounUS /bʊks/
Bound written or printed works.
From this reading Chairs, tables, pictures, books, that had rumbled down to them through the generations, must rumble forward again like a slide of rubbish to which she longed to give the final push, and send toppling into the sea.
ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But there were all their father’s books—they never read them, but they were their father’s, and must be kept.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading There was the marble-topped chiffonier—their mother had set store by it, they could not remember why.
ChairsnounUS /tʃerz/
plural of “chair” — a seat for one person, with a support for the back
From this reading Chairs, tables, pictures, books, that had rumbled down to them through the generations, must rumble forward again like a slide of rubbish to which she longed to give the final push, and send toppling into the sea.
chiffoniernoun
a tall elegant chest of drawers
From this reading There was the marble-topped chiffonier—their mother had set store by it, they could not remember why.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading There was the marble-topped chiffonier—their mother had set store by it, they could not remember why.
depositedverbUS /dəˈpɑːzɪtɪd/
past form of “deposit” — put, fix, force, or implant
From this reading When a move is imminent, furniture becomes ridiculous, and Margaret now lay awake at nights wondering where, where on earth they and all their belongings would be deposited in September next.
downadjectiveUS /daʊn/
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading Chairs, tables, pictures, books, that had rumbled down to them through the generations, must rumble forward again like a slide of rubbish to which she longed to give the final push, and send toppling into the sea.
earthnounUS /ɜːrθ/
the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on
From this reading When a move is imminent, furniture becomes ridiculous, and Margaret now lay awake at nights wondering where, where on earth they and all their belongings would be deposited in September next.
evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/
divisible by two
From this reading The Age of Property holds bitter moments even for a proprietor.
father'snounUS /ˈfɑːðərz/
possessive form of “father” — a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading But there were all their father’s books—they never read them, but they were their father’s, and must be kept.
finaladjectiveUS /ˈfaɪnəl/
occurring at or forming an end or termination
From this reading Chairs, tables, pictures, books, that had rumbled down to them through the generations, must rumble forward again like a slide of rubbish to which she longed to give the final push, and send toppling into the sea.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The Age of Property holds bitter moments even for a proprietor.
forwardadverbUS /ˈfɔːrwərd/
at or to or toward the front
From this reading Chairs, tables, pictures, books, that had rumbled down to them through the generations, must rumble forward again like a slide of rubbish to which she longed to give the final push, and send toppling into the sea.
furniturenounUS /ˈfɜːrnɪtʃər/
furnishings that make a room or other area ready for occupancy
From this reading When a move is imminent, furniture becomes ridiculous, and Margaret now lay awake at nights wondering where, where on earth they and all their belongings would be deposited in September next.
generationsnounUS /ˌdʒenərˈeɪʃənz/
plural of “generation” — all the people living at the same time or of approximately the same age
From this reading Chairs, tables, pictures, books, that had rumbled down to them through the generations, must rumble forward again like a slide of rubbish to which she longed to give the final push, and send toppling into the sea.
giveverbUS /ɡɪv/
cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading Chairs, tables, pictures, books, that had rumbled down to them through the generations, must rumble forward again like a slide of rubbish to which she longed to give the final push, and send toppling into the sea.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Chairs, tables, pictures, books, that had rumbled down to them through the generations, must rumble forward again like a slide of rubbish to which she longed to give the final push, and send toppling into the sea.
holdsnounUS /hoʊldz/
plural of “hold” — the act of grasping
From this reading The Age of Property holds bitter moments even for a proprietor.
imminentadjectiveUS /ˈɪmənənt/
close in time; about to occur
From this reading When a move is imminent, furniture becomes ridiculous, and Margaret now lay awake at nights wondering where, where on earth they and all their belongings would be deposited in September next.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading When a move is imminent, furniture becomes ridiculous, and Margaret now lay awake at nights wondering where, where on earth they and all their belongings would be deposited in September next.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Chairs, tables, pictures, books, that had rumbled down to them through the generations, must rumble forward again like a slide of rubbish to which she longed to give the final push, and send toppling into the sea.
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading When a move is imminent, furniture becomes ridiculous, and Margaret now lay awake at nights wondering where, where on earth they and all their belongings would be deposited in September next.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading There was the marble-topped chiffonier—their mother had set store by it, they could not remember why.
keptadjectiveUS /kept/
(especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded
From this reading But there were all their father’s books—they never read them, but they were their father’s, and must be kept.
layverbUS /leɪ/
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading When a move is imminent, furniture becomes ridiculous, and Margaret now lay awake at nights wondering where, where on earth they and all their belongings would be deposited in September next.
likeverbUS /laɪk/
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading Chairs, tables, pictures, books, that had rumbled down to them through the generations, must rumble forward again like a slide of rubbish to which she longed to give the final push, and send toppling into the sea.
longedverbUS /lɔːŋd/
past form of “long” — desire strongly or persistently
From this reading Chairs, tables, pictures, books, that had rumbled down to them through the generations, must rumble forward again like a slide of rubbish to which she longed to give the final push, and send toppling into the sea.
marble-topped
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was the marble-topped chiffonier—their mother had set store by it, they could not remember why.
Margaret
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When a move is imminent, furniture becomes ridiculous, and Margaret now lay awake at nights wondering where, where on earth they and all their belongings would be deposited in September next.
momentsnounUS /ˈmoʊmənts/
plural of “moment” — a particular point in time
From this reading The Age of Property holds bitter moments even for a proprietor.
mothernounUS /ˈmʌðər/
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading There was the marble-topped chiffonier—their mother had set store by it, they could not remember why.
moveverbUS /muːv/
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading When a move is imminent, furniture becomes ridiculous, and Margaret now lay awake at nights wondering where, where on earth they and all their belongings would be deposited in September next.
mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading Chairs, tables, pictures, books, that had rumbled down to them through the generations, must rumble forward again like a slide of rubbish to which she longed to give the final push, and send toppling into the sea.
neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading But there were all their father’s books—they never read them, but they were their father’s, and must be kept.
nextadjectiveUS /nekst/
immediately following in time or order
From this reading When a move is imminent, furniture becomes ridiculous, and Margaret now lay awake at nights wondering where, where on earth they and all their belongings would be deposited in September next.
nightsnounUS /naɪts/
Periods of darkness between sunset and sunrise.
From this reading When a move is imminent, furniture becomes ridiculous, and Margaret now lay awake at nights wondering where, where on earth they and all their belongings would be deposited in September next.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading There was the marble-topped chiffonier—their mother had set store by it, they could not remember why.
nowadverbUS /naʊ/
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading When a move is imminent, furniture becomes ridiculous, and Margaret now lay awake at nights wondering where, where on earth they and all their belongings would be deposited in September next.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The Age of Property holds bitter moments even for a proprietor.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading When a move is imminent, furniture becomes ridiculous, and Margaret now lay awake at nights wondering where, where on earth they and all their belongings would be deposited in September next.
picturesnounUS /ˈpɪktʃərz/
plural of “picture” — a visual representation (of an object or scene or person or abstraction) produced on a surface
From this reading Chairs, tables, pictures, books, that had rumbled down to them through the generations, must rumble forward again like a slide of rubbish to which she longed to give the final push, and send toppling into the sea.
PropertynounUS /ˈprɑːpərti/
something owned; any tangible or intangible possession that is owned by someone
From this reading The Age of Property holds bitter moments even for a proprietor.
proprietornounUS /prəˈpraɪətər/
(law) someone who owns (is legal possessor of) a business
From this reading The Age of Property holds bitter moments even for a proprietor.
pushverbUS /pʊʃ/
move with force
From this reading Chairs, tables, pictures, books, that had rumbled down to them through the generations, must rumble forward again like a slide of rubbish to which she longed to give the final push, and send toppling into the sea.
readverbUS /red/
interpret something that is written or printed
From this reading But there were all their father’s books—they never read them, but they were their father’s, and must be kept.
rememberverbUS /rɪˈmɛm.bər/
To recall to mind.
From this reading There was the marble-topped chiffonier—their mother had set store by it, they could not remember why.
ridiculousadjectiveUS /rɪˈdɪkjələs/
inspiring scornful pity
From this reading When a move is imminent, furniture becomes ridiculous, and Margaret now lay awake at nights wondering where, where on earth they and all their belongings would be deposited in September next.
rubbishnounUS /ˈrʌbɪʃ/
worthless material that is to be disposed of
From this reading Chairs, tables, pictures, books, that had rumbled down to them through the generations, must rumble forward again like a slide of rubbish to which she longed to give the final push, and send toppling into the sea.
rumbleverbUS /ˈrʌmbəl/
make a low noise
From this reading Chairs, tables, pictures, books, that had rumbled down to them through the generations, must rumble forward again like a slide of rubbish to which she longed to give the final push, and send toppling into the sea.
rumbledverbUS /ˈrʌmbəld/
past form of “rumble” — make a low noise
From this reading Chairs, tables, pictures, books, that had rumbled down to them through the generations, must rumble forward again like a slide of rubbish to which she longed to give the final push, and send toppling into the sea.
seanounUS /siː/
a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land
From this reading Chairs, tables, pictures, books, that had rumbled down to them through the generations, must rumble forward again like a slide of rubbish to which she longed to give the final push, and send toppling into the sea.
sendverbUS /send/
cause to go somewhere
From this reading Chairs, tables, pictures, books, that had rumbled down to them through the generations, must rumble forward again like a slide of rubbish to which she longed to give the final push, and send toppling into the sea.
SeptembernounUS /sepˈtembər/
the month following August and preceding October
From this reading When a move is imminent, furniture becomes ridiculous, and Margaret now lay awake at nights wondering where, where on earth they and all their belongings would be deposited in September next.
setverbUS /set/
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading There was the marble-topped chiffonier—their mother had set store by it, they could not remember why.
shepronounUS /ʃiː/
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Chairs, tables, pictures, books, that had rumbled down to them through the generations, must rumble forward again like a slide of rubbish to which she longed to give the final push, and send toppling into the sea.
slidenounUS /slaɪd/
a small flat rectangular piece of glass on which specimens can be mounted for microscopic study
From this reading Chairs, tables, pictures, books, that had rumbled down to them through the generations, must rumble forward again like a slide of rubbish to which she longed to give the final push, and send toppling into the sea.
storenounUS /stɔːr/
a mercantile establishment for the retail sale of goods or services
From this reading There was the marble-topped chiffonier—their mother had set store by it, they could not remember why.
tablesnounUS /ˈteɪbəlz/
plural of “table” — a set of data arranged in rows and columns
From this reading Chairs, tables, pictures, books, that had rumbled down to them through the generations, must rumble forward again like a slide of rubbish to which she longed to give the final push, and send toppling into the sea.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Chairs, tables, pictures, books, that had rumbled down to them through the generations, must rumble forward again like a slide of rubbish to which she longed to give the final push, and send toppling into the sea.
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The Age of Property holds bitter moments even for a proprietor.
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading When a move is imminent, furniture becomes ridiculous, and Margaret now lay awake at nights wondering where, where on earth they and all their belongings would be deposited in September next.
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Chairs, tables, pictures, books, that had rumbled down to them through the generations, must rumble forward again like a slide of rubbish to which she longed to give the final push, and send toppling into the sea.
thereadverbUS /ðer/
in or at that place or location
From this reading But there were all their father’s books—they never read them, but they were their father’s, and must be kept.
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading When a move is imminent, furniture becomes ridiculous, and Margaret now lay awake at nights wondering where, where on earth they and all their belongings would be deposited in September next.
throughprepositionUS /θruː/
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading Chairs, tables, pictures, books, that had rumbled down to them through the generations, must rumble forward again like a slide of rubbish to which she longed to give the final push, and send toppling into the sea.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Chairs, tables, pictures, books, that had rumbled down to them through the generations, must rumble forward again like a slide of rubbish to which she longed to give the final push, and send toppling into the sea.
topplingverbUS /ˈtɑːpəlɪŋ/
-ing form of “topple” — fall down, as if collapsing
From this reading Chairs, tables, pictures, books, that had rumbled down to them through the generations, must rumble forward again like a slide of rubbish to which she longed to give the final push, and send toppling into the sea.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There was the marble-topped chiffonier—their mother had set store by it, they could not remember why.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading But there were all their father’s books—they never read them, but they were their father’s, and must be kept.
WhenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading When a move is imminent, furniture becomes ridiculous, and Margaret now lay awake at nights wondering where, where on earth they and all their belongings would be deposited in September next.
whereconjunctionUS /wer/
in or at the place that
From this reading When a move is imminent, furniture becomes ridiculous, and Margaret now lay awake at nights wondering where, where on earth they and all their belongings would be deposited in September next.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Chairs, tables, pictures, books, that had rumbled down to them through the generations, must rumble forward again like a slide of rubbish to which she longed to give the final push, and send toppling into the sea.
whynounUS /waɪ/
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading There was the marble-topped chiffonier—their mother had set store by it, they could not remember why.
wonderingadjectiveUS /ˈwʌndərɪŋ/
showing curiosity
From this reading When a move is imminent, furniture becomes ridiculous, and Margaret now lay awake at nights wondering where, where on earth they and all their belongings would be deposited in September next.
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading When a move is imminent, furniture becomes ridiculous, and Margaret now lay awake at nights wondering where, where on earth they and all their belongings would be deposited in September next.
