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 La Vallière entered the queen-mother’s apartments without in the least suspecting that a serious plot was being concerted against her.
advanced
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She therefore advanced towards the queen-mother with that soft and gentle smile which constituted her principal charm, and as she did not approach sufficiently close, Anne of Austria signed to her to come nearer.
againstprepositionUS /əˈɡenst/
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading La Vallière entered the queen-mother’s apartments without in the least suspecting that a serious plot was being concerted against her.
air
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Madame then entered the room, and with a perfectly calm air took her seat beside her mother-in-law, and continued the work which Maria Theresa had begun.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Besides, not being immediately under the control or direction of Anne of Austria, she could only have an official connection with her, to which her own gentleness of disposition, and the rank of the august princess, made her yield on every occasion with the best possible grace.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading She thought it was for something connected with her duties, and never had the queen-mother been unkind to her when such was the case.
Anne
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Besides, not being immediately under the control or direction of Anne of Austria, she could only have an official connection with her, to which her own gentleness of disposition, and the rank of the august princess, made her yield on every occasion with the best possible grace.
apartments
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading La Vallière entered the queen-mother’s apartments without in the least suspecting that a serious plot was being concerted against her.
approach
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She therefore advanced towards the queen-mother with that soft and gentle smile which constituted her principal charm, and as she did not approach sufficiently close, Anne of Austria signed to her to come nearer.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading She therefore advanced towards the queen-mother with that soft and gentle smile which constituted her principal charm, and as she did not approach sufficiently close, Anne of Austria signed to her to come nearer.
august
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Besides, not being immediately under the control or direction of Anne of Austria, she could only have an official connection with her, to which her own gentleness of disposition, and the rank of the august princess, made her yield on every occasion with the best possible grace.
Austria
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Besides, not being immediately under the control or direction of Anne of Austria, she could only have an official connection with her, to which her own gentleness of disposition, and the rank of the august princess, made her yield on every occasion with the best possible grace.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading She thought it was for something connected with her duties, and never had the queen-mother been unkind to her when such was the case.
begun
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Madame then entered the room, and with a perfectly calm air took her seat beside her mother-in-law, and continued the work which Maria Theresa had begun.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading La Vallière entered the queen-mother’s apartments without in the least suspecting that a serious plot was being concerted against her.
besideprepositionUS /bɪˈsaɪd/
next to; at the side of
From this reading Madame then entered the room, and with a perfectly calm air took her seat beside her mother-in-law, and continued the work which Maria Theresa had begun.
BesidesprepositionUS /bɪˈsaɪdz/
in addition to; as well as
From this reading Besides, not being immediately under the control or direction of Anne of Austria, she could only have an official connection with her, to which her own gentleness of disposition, and the rank of the august princess, made her yield on every occasion with the best possible grace.
best
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Besides, not being immediately under the control or direction of Anne of Austria, she could only have an official connection with her, to which her own gentleness of disposition, and the rank of the august princess, made her yield on every occasion with the best possible grace.
calm
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Madame then entered the room, and with a perfectly calm air took her seat beside her mother-in-law, and continued the work which Maria Theresa had begun.
case
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She thought it was for something connected with her duties, and never had the queen-mother been unkind to her when such was the case.
charm
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She therefore advanced towards the queen-mother with that soft and gentle smile which constituted her principal charm, and as she did not approach sufficiently close, Anne of Austria signed to her to come nearer.
close
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She therefore advanced towards the queen-mother with that soft and gentle smile which constituted her principal charm, and as she did not approach sufficiently close, Anne of Austria signed to her to come nearer.
comenounUS /come/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading She therefore advanced towards the queen-mother with that soft and gentle smile which constituted her principal charm, and as she did not approach sufficiently close, Anne of Austria signed to her to come nearer.
concerted
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading La Vallière entered the queen-mother’s apartments without in the least suspecting that a serious plot was being concerted against her.
connected
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She thought it was for something connected with her duties, and never had the queen-mother been unkind to her when such was the case.
connection
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Besides, not being immediately under the control or direction of Anne of Austria, she could only have an official connection with her, to which her own gentleness of disposition, and the rank of the august princess, made her yield on every occasion with the best possible grace.
constituted
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She therefore advanced towards the queen-mother with that soft and gentle smile which constituted her principal charm, and as she did not approach sufficiently close, Anne of Austria signed to her to come nearer.
continuednounUS /ˈcontinued/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading Madame then entered the room, and with a perfectly calm air took her seat beside her mother-in-law, and continued the work which Maria Theresa had begun.
control
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Besides, not being immediately under the control or direction of Anne of Austria, she could only have an official connection with her, to which her own gentleness of disposition, and the rank of the august princess, made her yield on every occasion with the best possible grace.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Besides, not being immediately under the control or direction of Anne of Austria, she could only have an official connection with her, to which her own gentleness of disposition, and the rank of the august princess, made her yield on every occasion with the best possible grace.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading She therefore advanced towards the queen-mother with that soft and gentle smile which constituted her principal charm, and as she did not approach sufficiently close, Anne of Austria signed to her to come nearer.
direction
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Besides, not being immediately under the control or direction of Anne of Austria, she could only have an official connection with her, to which her own gentleness of disposition, and the rank of the august princess, made her yield on every occasion with the best possible grace.
dispositionnounUS /ˌdɪspəˈzɪʃən/
the way something is arranged or positioned
From this reading Besides, not being immediately under the control or direction of Anne of Austria, she could only have an official connection with her, to which her own gentleness of disposition, and the rank of the august princess, made her yield on every occasion with the best possible grace.
duties
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She thought it was for something connected with her duties, and never had the queen-mother been unkind to her when such was the case.
entered
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading La Vallière entered the queen-mother’s apartments without in the least suspecting that a serious plot was being concerted against her.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading Besides, not being immediately under the control or direction of Anne of Austria, she could only have an official connection with her, to which her own gentleness of disposition, and the rank of the august princess, made her yield on every occasion with the best possible grace.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading She thought it was for something connected with her duties, and never had the queen-mother been unkind to her when such was the case.
gentle
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She therefore advanced towards the queen-mother with that soft and gentle smile which constituted her principal charm, and as she did not approach sufficiently close, Anne of Austria signed to her to come nearer.
gentleness
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Besides, not being immediately under the control or direction of Anne of Austria, she could only have an official connection with her, to which her own gentleness of disposition, and the rank of the august princess, made her yield on every occasion with the best possible grace.
grace
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Besides, not being immediately under the control or direction of Anne of Austria, she could only have an official connection with her, to which her own gentleness of disposition, and the rank of the august princess, made her yield on every occasion with the best possible grace.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading She thought it was for something connected with her duties, and never had the queen-mother been unkind to her when such was the case.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Besides, not being immediately under the control or direction of Anne of Austria, she could only have an official connection with her, to which her own gentleness of disposition, and the rank of the august princess, made her yield on every occasion with the best possible grace.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading La Vallière entered the queen-mother’s apartments without in the least suspecting that a serious plot was being concerted against her.
immediately
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Besides, not being immediately under the control or direction of Anne of Austria, she could only have an official connection with her, to which her own gentleness of disposition, and the rank of the august princess, made her yield on every occasion with the best possible grace.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading La Vallière entered the queen-mother’s apartments without in the least suspecting that a serious plot was being concerted against her.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading She thought it was for something connected with her duties, and never had the queen-mother been unkind to her when such was the case.
La
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading La Vallière entered the queen-mother’s apartments without in the least suspecting that a serious plot was being concerted against her.
leastnounUS /least/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading La Vallière entered the queen-mother’s apartments without in the least suspecting that a serious plot was being concerted against her.
Madame
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Madame then entered the room, and with a perfectly calm air took her seat beside her mother-in-law, and continued the work which Maria Theresa had begun.
made
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Besides, not being immediately under the control or direction of Anne of Austria, she could only have an official connection with her, to which her own gentleness of disposition, and the rank of the august princess, made her yield on every occasion with the best possible grace.
Maria
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Madame then entered the room, and with a perfectly calm air took her seat beside her mother-in-law, and continued the work which Maria Theresa had begun.
mother-in-law
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Madame then entered the room, and with a perfectly calm air took her seat beside her mother-in-law, and continued the work which Maria Theresa had begun.
nearer
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She therefore advanced towards the queen-mother with that soft and gentle smile which constituted her principal charm, and as she did not approach sufficiently close, Anne of Austria signed to her to come nearer.
nevernounUS /never/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading She thought it was for something connected with her duties, and never had the queen-mother been unkind to her when such was the case.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Besides, not being immediately under the control or direction of Anne of Austria, she could only have an official connection with her, to which her own gentleness of disposition, and the rank of the august princess, made her yield on every occasion with the best possible grace.
occasion
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Besides, not being immediately under the control or direction of Anne of Austria, she could only have an official connection with her, to which her own gentleness of disposition, and the rank of the august princess, made her yield on every occasion with the best possible grace.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Besides, not being immediately under the control or direction of Anne of Austria, she could only have an official connection with her, to which her own gentleness of disposition, and the rank of the august princess, made her yield on every occasion with the best possible grace.
official
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Besides, not being immediately under the control or direction of Anne of Austria, she could only have an official connection with her, to which her own gentleness of disposition, and the rank of the august princess, made her yield on every occasion with the best possible grace.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Besides, not being immediately under the control or direction of Anne of Austria, she could only have an official connection with her, to which her own gentleness of disposition, and the rank of the august princess, made her yield on every occasion with the best possible grace.
only
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Besides, not being immediately under the control or direction of Anne of Austria, she could only have an official connection with her, to which her own gentleness of disposition, and the rank of the august princess, made her yield on every occasion with the best possible grace.
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Besides, not being immediately under the control or direction of Anne of Austria, she could only have an official connection with her, to which her own gentleness of disposition, and the rank of the august princess, made her yield on every occasion with the best possible grace.
own
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Besides, not being immediately under the control or direction of Anne of Austria, she could only have an official connection with her, to which her own gentleness of disposition, and the rank of the august princess, made her yield on every occasion with the best possible grace.
perfectly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Madame then entered the room, and with a perfectly calm air took her seat beside her mother-in-law, and continued the work which Maria Theresa had begun.
plot
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading La Vallière entered the queen-mother’s apartments without in the least suspecting that a serious plot was being concerted against her.
possible
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Besides, not being immediately under the control or direction of Anne of Austria, she could only have an official connection with her, to which her own gentleness of disposition, and the rank of the august princess, made her yield on every occasion with the best possible grace.
princessnounUS /ˈprɪn.ses/
The daughter of a monarch; a female member of a royal family.
From this reading Besides, not being immediately under the control or direction of Anne of Austria, she could only have an official connection with her, to which her own gentleness of disposition, and the rank of the august princess, made her yield on every occasion with the best possible grace.
principal
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She therefore advanced towards the queen-mother with that soft and gentle smile which constituted her principal charm, and as she did not approach sufficiently close, Anne of Austria signed to her to come nearer.
queen-mother
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She thought it was for something connected with her duties, and never had the queen-mother been unkind to her when such was the case.
queen-mother's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading La Vallière entered the queen-mother’s apartments without in the least suspecting that a serious plot was being concerted against her.
rank
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Besides, not being immediately under the control or direction of Anne of Austria, she could only have an official connection with her, to which her own gentleness of disposition, and the rank of the august princess, made her yield on every occasion with the best possible grace.
room
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Madame then entered the room, and with a perfectly calm air took her seat beside her mother-in-law, and continued the work which Maria Theresa had begun.
seat
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Madame then entered the room, and with a perfectly calm air took her seat beside her mother-in-law, and continued the work which Maria Theresa had begun.
serious
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading La Vallière entered the queen-mother’s apartments without in the least suspecting that a serious plot was being concerted against her.
ShepronounUS /ʃiː/
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She thought it was for something connected with her duties, and never had the queen-mother been unkind to her when such was the case.
signed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She therefore advanced towards the queen-mother with that soft and gentle smile which constituted her principal charm, and as she did not approach sufficiently close, Anne of Austria signed to her to come nearer.
smile
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She therefore advanced towards the queen-mother with that soft and gentle smile which constituted her principal charm, and as she did not approach sufficiently close, Anne of Austria signed to her to come nearer.
soft
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She therefore advanced towards the queen-mother with that soft and gentle smile which constituted her principal charm, and as she did not approach sufficiently close, Anne of Austria signed to her to come nearer.
somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/
a thing, without saying which
From this reading She thought it was for something connected with her duties, and never had the queen-mother been unkind to her when such was the case.
suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading She thought it was for something connected with her duties, and never had the queen-mother been unkind to her when such was the case.
sufficiently
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She therefore advanced towards the queen-mother with that soft and gentle smile which constituted her principal charm, and as she did not approach sufficiently close, Anne of Austria signed to her to come nearer.
suspecting
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading La Vallière entered the queen-mother’s apartments without in the least suspecting that a serious plot was being concerted against her.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading La Vallière entered the queen-mother’s apartments without in the least suspecting that a serious plot was being concerted against her.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading La Vallière entered the queen-mother’s apartments without in the least suspecting that a serious plot was being concerted against her.
then
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Madame then entered the room, and with a perfectly calm air took her seat beside her mother-in-law, and continued the work which Maria Theresa had begun.
thereforeadverbUS /ˈðerfɔːr/
for that reason; as a result
From this reading She therefore advanced towards the queen-mother with that soft and gentle smile which constituted her principal charm, and as she did not approach sufficiently close, Anne of Austria signed to her to come nearer.
Theresa
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Madame then entered the room, and with a perfectly calm air took her seat beside her mother-in-law, and continued the work which Maria Theresa had begun.
thoughtnounUS /thought/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading She thought it was for something connected with her duties, and never had the queen-mother been unkind to her when such was the case.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading She thought it was for something connected with her duties, and never had the queen-mother been unkind to her when such was the case.
tooknounUS /took/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Madame then entered the room, and with a perfectly calm air took her seat beside her mother-in-law, and continued the work which Maria Theresa had begun.
towardsprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrdz/
in the direction of
From this reading She therefore advanced towards the queen-mother with that soft and gentle smile which constituted her principal charm, and as she did not approach sufficiently close, Anne of Austria signed to her to come nearer.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading Besides, not being immediately under the control or direction of Anne of Austria, she could only have an official connection with her, to which her own gentleness of disposition, and the rank of the august princess, made her yield on every occasion with the best possible grace.
unkind
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She thought it was for something connected with her duties, and never had the queen-mother been unkind to her when such was the case.
Vallière
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading La Vallière entered the queen-mother’s apartments without in the least suspecting that a serious plot was being concerted against her.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading La Vallière entered the queen-mother’s apartments without in the least suspecting that a serious plot was being concerted against her.
whenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading She thought it was for something connected with her duties, and never had the queen-mother been unkind to her when such was the case.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Besides, not being immediately under the control or direction of Anne of Austria, she could only have an official connection with her, to which her own gentleness of disposition, and the rank of the august princess, made her yield on every occasion with the best possible grace.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading She thought it was for something connected with her duties, and never had the queen-mother been unkind to her when such was the case.
withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading La Vallière entered the queen-mother’s apartments without in the least suspecting that a serious plot was being concerted against her.
work
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Madame then entered the room, and with a perfectly calm air took her seat beside her mother-in-law, and continued the work which Maria Theresa had begun.
yield
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Besides, not being immediately under the control or direction of Anne of Austria, she could only have an official connection with her, to which her own gentleness of disposition, and the rank of the august princess, made her yield on every occasion with the best possible grace.
