adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading His last words had been a command to stay where he was; and the boy obeyed him.
accustomedadjectiveUS /əˈkʌstəmd/
commonly used or practiced; usual
From this reading The slave stared at him: but he was accustomed to the vagaries of philosophers; and thanking the gods that he was not born in that station of life, retired to his porter’s cell, and forgot the whole matter.
acrossprepositionUS /əˈkrɔːs/
from one side of something to the other
From this reading Philammon saw Raphael rush across the street into the Museum gardens.
Amal's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And was the Amal’s news true, then?
AndconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading And was the Amal’s news true, then?
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The slave stared at him: but he was accustomed to the vagaries of philosophers; and thanking the gods that he was not born in that station of life, retired to his porter’s cell, and forgot the whole matter.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading His last words had been a command to stay where he was; and the boy obeyed him.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading The black porter who let Raphael out told him somewhat insolently, that his mistress would see no one, and receive no messages: but he had made up his mind: complained of the sun, quietly ensconced himself behind a buttress, and sat coiled up on the pavement, ready for a desperate spring.
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 black porter who let Raphael out told him somewhat insolently, that his mistress would see no one, and receive no messages: but he had made up his mind: complained of the sun, quietly ensconced himself behind a buttress, and sat coiled up on the pavement, ready for a desperate spring.
bornadjectiveUS /bɔːrn/
brought into existence
From this reading The slave stared at him: but he was accustomed to the vagaries of philosophers; and thanking the gods that he was not born in that station of life, retired to his porter’s cell, and forgot the whole matter.
boynounUS /bɔɪ/
a youthful male person
From this reading His last words had been a command to stay where he was; and the boy obeyed him.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The black porter who let Raphael out told him somewhat insolently, that his mistress would see no one, and receive no messages: but he had made up his mind: complained of the sun, quietly ensconced himself behind a buttress, and sat coiled up on the pavement, ready for a desperate spring.
buttressverbUS /ˈbʌtrəs/
reinforce with a buttress
From this reading The black porter who let Raphael out told him somewhat insolently, that his mistress would see no one, and receive no messages: but he had made up his mind: complained of the sun, quietly ensconced himself behind a buttress, and sat coiled up on the pavement, ready for a desperate spring.
cellnounUS /sel/
A small stone room in a prison where an inmate is locked behind iron bars.
From this reading The slave stared at him: but he was accustomed to the vagaries of philosophers; and thanking the gods that he was not born in that station of life, retired to his porter’s cell, and forgot the whole matter.
coiledadjectiveUS /kɔɪld/
curled or wound (especially in concentric rings or spirals)
From this reading The black porter who let Raphael out told him somewhat insolently, that his mistress would see no one, and receive no messages: but he had made up his mind: complained of the sun, quietly ensconced himself behind a buttress, and sat coiled up on the pavement, ready for a desperate spring.
commandnounUS /kəˈmænd/
an authoritative direction or instruction to do something
From this reading His last words had been a command to stay where he was; and the boy obeyed him.
complainedverbUS /kəmˈpleɪnd/
past form of “complain” — express complaints, discontent, displeasure, or unhappiness
From this reading The black porter who let Raphael out told him somewhat insolently, that his mistress would see no one, and receive no messages: but he had made up his mind: complained of the sun, quietly ensconced himself behind a buttress, and sat coiled up on the pavement, ready for a desperate spring.
desperateadjectiveUS /ˈdesprɪt/
arising from or marked by despair or loss of hope
From this reading The black porter who let Raphael out told him somewhat insolently, that his mistress would see no one, and receive no messages: but he had made up his mind: complained of the sun, quietly ensconced himself behind a buttress, and sat coiled up on the pavement, ready for a desperate spring.
ensconcedverbUS /ɪnˈskɑːnst/
past form of “ensconce” — fix firmly
From this reading The black porter who let Raphael out told him somewhat insolently, that his mistress would see no one, and receive no messages: but he had made up his mind: complained of the sun, quietly ensconced himself behind a buttress, and sat coiled up on the pavement, ready for a desperate spring.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The black porter who let Raphael out told him somewhat insolently, that his mistress would see no one, and receive no messages: but he had made up his mind: complained of the sun, quietly ensconced himself behind a buttress, and sat coiled up on the pavement, ready for a desperate spring.
forgotverbUS /fərˈɡɑːt/
inflected form of “forget” — dismiss from the mind; stop remembering
From this reading The slave stared at him: but he was accustomed to the vagaries of philosophers; and thanking the gods that he was not born in that station of life, retired to his porter’s cell, and forgot the whole matter.
gardensnounUS /ˈɡɑːrdənz/
plural of “garden” — a plot of ground where plants are cultivated
From this reading Philammon saw Raphael rush across the street into the Museum gardens.
godsnounUS /ɡɑːdz/
plural of “god” — the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions
From this reading The slave stared at him: but he was accustomed to the vagaries of philosophers; and thanking the gods that he was not born in that station of life, retired to his porter’s cell, and forgot the whole matter.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading His last words had been a command to stay where he was; and the boy obeyed him.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading His last words had been a command to stay where he was; and the boy obeyed him.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading His last words had been a command to stay where he was; and the boy obeyed him.
himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading The black porter who let Raphael out told him somewhat insolently, that his mistress would see no one, and receive no messages: but he had made up his mind: complained of the sun, quietly ensconced himself behind a buttress, and sat coiled up on the pavement, ready for a desperate spring.
HisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading His last words had been a command to stay where he was; and the boy obeyed him.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The slave stared at him: but he was accustomed to the vagaries of philosophers; and thanking the gods that he was not born in that station of life, retired to his porter’s cell, and forgot the whole matter.
insolentlyadverb
in an insolent manner
From this reading The black porter who let Raphael out told him somewhat insolently, that his mistress would see no one, and receive no messages: but he had made up his mind: complained of the sun, quietly ensconced himself behind a buttress, and sat coiled up on the pavement, ready for a desperate spring.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Philammon saw Raphael rush across the street into the Museum gardens.
lastadjectiveUS /læst/
immediately past
From this reading His last words had been a command to stay where he was; and the boy obeyed him.
letauxiliary verbUS /let/
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading The black porter who let Raphael out told him somewhat insolently, that his mistress would see no one, and receive no messages: but he had made up his mind: complained of the sun, quietly ensconced himself behind a buttress, and sat coiled up on the pavement, ready for a desperate spring.
lifenounUS /laɪf/
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading The slave stared at him: but he was accustomed to the vagaries of philosophers; and thanking the gods that he was not born in that station of life, retired to his porter’s cell, and forgot the whole matter.
madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading The black porter who let Raphael out told him somewhat insolently, that his mistress would see no one, and receive no messages: but he had made up his mind: complained of the sun, quietly ensconced himself behind a buttress, and sat coiled up on the pavement, ready for a desperate spring.
matternounUS /ˈmætər/
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading The slave stared at him: but he was accustomed to the vagaries of philosophers; and thanking the gods that he was not born in that station of life, retired to his porter’s cell, and forgot the whole matter.
messagesnounUS /ˈmesədʒəz/
plural of “message” — a communication (usually brief) that is written or spoken or signaled
From this reading The black porter who let Raphael out told him somewhat insolently, that his mistress would see no one, and receive no messages: but he had made up his mind: complained of the sun, quietly ensconced himself behind a buttress, and sat coiled up on the pavement, ready for a desperate spring.
mindnounUS /maɪnd/
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading The black porter who let Raphael out told him somewhat insolently, that his mistress would see no one, and receive no messages: but he had made up his mind: complained of the sun, quietly ensconced himself behind a buttress, and sat coiled up on the pavement, ready for a desperate spring.
mistressnounUS /ˈmɪstrəs/
an adulterous woman; a woman who has an ongoing extramarital sexual relationship with a man
From this reading The black porter who let Raphael out told him somewhat insolently, that his mistress would see no one, and receive no messages: but he had made up his mind: complained of the sun, quietly ensconced himself behind a buttress, and sat coiled up on the pavement, ready for a desperate spring.
MuseumnounUS /mjuːˈziːəm/
a depository for collecting and displaying objects having scientific or historical or artistic value
From this reading Philammon saw Raphael rush across the street into the Museum gardens.
newsnounUS /nuːz/
information about recent and important events
From this reading And was the Amal’s news true, then?
nodeterminerUS /noʊ/
not any; not one
From this reading The black porter who let Raphael out told him somewhat insolently, that his mistress would see no one, and receive no messages: but he had made up his mind: complained of the sun, quietly ensconced himself behind a buttress, and sat coiled up on the pavement, ready for a desperate spring.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The slave stared at him: but he was accustomed to the vagaries of philosophers; and thanking the gods that he was not born in that station of life, retired to his porter’s cell, and forgot the whole matter.
obeyedverbUS /oʊˈbeɪd/
past form of “obey” — be obedient to
From this reading His last words had been a command to stay where he was; and the boy obeyed him.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The black porter who let Raphael out told him somewhat insolently, that his mistress would see no one, and receive no messages: but he had made up his mind: complained of the sun, quietly ensconced himself behind a buttress, and sat coiled up on the pavement, ready for a desperate spring.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The black porter who let Raphael out told him somewhat insolently, that his mistress would see no one, and receive no messages: but he had made up his mind: complained of the sun, quietly ensconced himself behind a buttress, and sat coiled up on the pavement, ready for a desperate spring.
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading The black porter who let Raphael out told him somewhat insolently, that his mistress would see no one, and receive no messages: but he had made up his mind: complained of the sun, quietly ensconced himself behind a buttress, and sat coiled up on the pavement, ready for a desperate spring.
outadjectiveUS /aʊt/
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading The black porter who let Raphael out told him somewhat insolently, that his mistress would see no one, and receive no messages: but he had made up his mind: complained of the sun, quietly ensconced himself behind a buttress, and sat coiled up on the pavement, ready for a desperate spring.
pavementnounUS /ˈpeɪvmənt/
the paved surface of a thoroughfare
From this reading The black porter who let Raphael out told him somewhat insolently, that his mistress would see no one, and receive no messages: but he had made up his mind: complained of the sun, quietly ensconced himself behind a buttress, and sat coiled up on the pavement, ready for a desperate spring.
Philammon
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Philammon saw Raphael rush across the street into the Museum gardens.
philosophersnounUS /fəˈlɑːsəfərz/
plural of “philosopher” — a specialist in philosophy
From this reading The slave stared at him: but he was accustomed to the vagaries of philosophers; and thanking the gods that he was not born in that station of life, retired to his porter’s cell, and forgot the whole matter.
porternounUS /ˈpɔːrtər/
a person employed to carry luggage and supplies
From this reading The black porter who let Raphael out told him somewhat insolently, that his mistress would see no one, and receive no messages: but he had made up his mind: complained of the sun, quietly ensconced himself behind a buttress, and sat coiled up on the pavement, ready for a desperate spring.
porter'snounUS /ˈpɔːrtərz/
possessive form of “porter” — a person employed to carry luggage and supplies
From this reading The slave stared at him: but he was accustomed to the vagaries of philosophers; and thanking the gods that he was not born in that station of life, retired to his porter’s cell, and forgot the whole matter.
quietlyadverbUS /ˈkwaɪətli/
with low volume
From this reading The black porter who let Raphael out told him somewhat insolently, that his mistress would see no one, and receive no messages: but he had made up his mind: complained of the sun, quietly ensconced himself behind a buttress, and sat coiled up on the pavement, ready for a desperate spring.
RaphaelnounUS /ˌrɑːfaɪˈel/
Italian painter whose many paintings exemplify the ideals of the High Renaissance (1483-1520)
From this reading Philammon saw Raphael rush across the street into the Museum gardens.
readyadjectiveUS /ˈredi/
completely prepared or in condition for immediate action or use or progress
From this reading The black porter who let Raphael out told him somewhat insolently, that his mistress would see no one, and receive no messages: but he had made up his mind: complained of the sun, quietly ensconced himself behind a buttress, and sat coiled up on the pavement, ready for a desperate spring.
receiveverbUS /rəˈsiːv/
get something; come into possession of
From this reading The black porter who let Raphael out told him somewhat insolently, that his mistress would see no one, and receive no messages: but he had made up his mind: complained of the sun, quietly ensconced himself behind a buttress, and sat coiled up on the pavement, ready for a desperate spring.
retiredadjectiveUS /rɪˈtaɪrd/
no longer active in your work or profession
From this reading The slave stared at him: but he was accustomed to the vagaries of philosophers; and thanking the gods that he was not born in that station of life, retired to his porter’s cell, and forgot the whole matter.
rushverbUS /rʌʃ/
move hurridly
From this reading Philammon saw Raphael rush across the street into the Museum gardens.
satnounUS /sæt/
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading The black porter who let Raphael out told him somewhat insolently, that his mistress would see no one, and receive no messages: but he had made up his mind: complained of the sun, quietly ensconced himself behind a buttress, and sat coiled up on the pavement, ready for a desperate spring.
sawverbUS /sɔː/
cut with a saw
From this reading Philammon saw Raphael rush across the street into the Museum gardens.
seeverbUS /siː/
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading The black porter who let Raphael out told him somewhat insolently, that his mistress would see no one, and receive no messages: but he had made up his mind: complained of the sun, quietly ensconced himself behind a buttress, and sat coiled up on the pavement, ready for a desperate spring.
slavenounUS /sleɪv/
a person who is owned by someone
From this reading The slave stared at him: but he was accustomed to the vagaries of philosophers; and thanking the gods that he was not born in that station of life, retired to his porter’s cell, and forgot the whole matter.
somewhatadverbUS /ˈsʌmˈwʌt/
to a small degree or extent
From this reading The black porter who let Raphael out told him somewhat insolently, that his mistress would see no one, and receive no messages: but he had made up his mind: complained of the sun, quietly ensconced himself behind a buttress, and sat coiled up on the pavement, ready for a desperate spring.
springnounUS /sprɪŋ/
the season of growth
From this reading The black porter who let Raphael out told him somewhat insolently, that his mistress would see no one, and receive no messages: but he had made up his mind: complained of the sun, quietly ensconced himself behind a buttress, and sat coiled up on the pavement, ready for a desperate spring.
staredverbUS /sterd/
past form of “stare” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading The slave stared at him: but he was accustomed to the vagaries of philosophers; and thanking the gods that he was not born in that station of life, retired to his porter’s cell, and forgot the whole matter.
stationnounUS /ˈsteɪʃən/
a facility equipped with special equipment and personnel for a particular purpose
From this reading The slave stared at him: but he was accustomed to the vagaries of philosophers; and thanking the gods that he was not born in that station of life, retired to his porter’s cell, and forgot the whole matter.
stayverbUS /steɪ/
stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading His last words had been a command to stay where he was; and the boy obeyed him.
streetnounUS /striːt/
a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings
From this reading Philammon saw Raphael rush across the street into the Museum gardens.
sunnounUS /sʌn/
the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system
From this reading The black porter who let Raphael out told him somewhat insolently, that his mistress would see no one, and receive no messages: but he had made up his mind: complained of the sun, quietly ensconced himself behind a buttress, and sat coiled up on the pavement, ready for a desperate spring.
thankingverbUS /ˈθæŋkɪŋ/
-ing form of “thank” — express gratitude or show appreciation to
From this reading The slave stared at him: but he was accustomed to the vagaries of philosophers; and thanking the gods that he was not born in that station of life, retired to his porter’s cell, and forgot the whole matter.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The black porter who let Raphael out told him somewhat insolently, that his mistress would see no one, and receive no messages: but he had made up his mind: complained of the sun, quietly ensconced himself behind a buttress, and sat coiled up on the pavement, ready for a desperate spring.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading And was the Amal’s news true, then?
thenadverbUS /ðen/
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading And was the Amal’s news true, then?
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading His last words had been a command to stay where he was; and the boy obeyed him.
toldverbUS /toʊld/
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading The black porter who let Raphael out told him somewhat insolently, that his mistress would see no one, and receive no messages: but he had made up his mind: complained of the sun, quietly ensconced himself behind a buttress, and sat coiled up on the pavement, ready for a desperate spring.
trueadjectiveUS /truː/
consistent with fact or reality; not false
From this reading And was the Amal’s news true, then?
upadjectiveUS /ʌp/
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading The black porter who let Raphael out told him somewhat insolently, that his mistress would see no one, and receive no messages: but he had made up his mind: complained of the sun, quietly ensconced himself behind a buttress, and sat coiled up on the pavement, ready for a desperate spring.
vagariesnounUS /ˈveɪɡəriz/
plural of “vagary” — an unexpected and inexplicable change in something (in a situation or a person's behavior, etc.)
From this reading The slave stared at him: but he was accustomed to the vagaries of philosophers; and thanking the gods that he was not born in that station of life, retired to his porter’s cell, and forgot the whole matter.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading And was the Amal’s news true, then?
whereconjunctionUS /wer/
in or at the place that
From this reading His last words had been a command to stay where he was; and the boy obeyed him.
whopronounUS /huː/
which person or people
From this reading The black porter who let Raphael out told him somewhat insolently, that his mistress would see no one, and receive no messages: but he had made up his mind: complained of the sun, quietly ensconced himself behind a buttress, and sat coiled up on the pavement, ready for a desperate spring.
wholeadjectiveUS /hoʊl/
including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete
From this reading The slave stared at him: but he was accustomed to the vagaries of philosophers; and thanking the gods that he was not born in that station of life, retired to his porter’s cell, and forgot the whole matter.
wordsnounUS /wɜːrdz/
the words that are spoken
From this reading His last words had been a command to stay where he was; and the boy obeyed him.
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading The black porter who let Raphael out told him somewhat insolently, that his mistress would see no one, and receive no messages: but he had made up his mind: complained of the sun, quietly ensconced himself behind a buttress, and sat coiled up on the pavement, ready for a desperate spring.
