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 A certain agitation seemed to have crept through the house itself.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading The landlady was disturbed in her bureau, moving about restlessly, giving short answers to the many inquirers who came to know what was the matter.
agitation
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A certain agitation seemed to have crept through the house itself.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading “What is there, do you ask?” she said, stretching out her plump hands, “there is nothing! there is that mademoiselle, the young _Anglaise_, has an _attaque des nerfs_.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The Hotel Venat that night closed its doors upon many anxious and troubled souls.
Anglaise
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From this reading “What is there, do you ask?” she said, stretching out her plump hands, “there is nothing! there is that mademoiselle, the young _Anglaise_, has an _attaque des nerfs_.
answers
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The landlady was disturbed in her bureau, moving about restlessly, giving short answers to the many inquirers who came to know what was the matter.
anxious
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From this reading The Hotel Venat that night closed its doors upon many anxious and troubled souls.
ask
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From this reading “What is there, do you ask?” she said, stretching out her plump hands, “there is nothing! there is that mademoiselle, the young _Anglaise_, has an _attaque des nerfs_.
attaque
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “What is there, do you ask?” she said, stretching out her plump hands, “there is nothing! there is that mademoiselle, the young _Anglaise_, has an _attaque des nerfs_.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Nothing could be more simple.
bureau
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The landlady was disturbed in her bureau, moving about restlessly, giving short answers to the many inquirers who came to know what was the matter.
came
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The landlady was disturbed in her bureau, moving about restlessly, giving short answers to the many inquirers who came to know what was the matter.
certain
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A certain agitation seemed to have crept through the house itself.
closed
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From this reading The Hotel Venat that night closed its doors upon many anxious and troubled souls.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Nothing could be more simple.
crept
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A certain agitation seemed to have crept through the house itself.
des
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “What is there, do you ask?” she said, stretching out her plump hands, “there is nothing! there is that mademoiselle, the young _Anglaise_, has an _attaque des nerfs_.
disturbed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The landlady was disturbed in her bureau, moving about restlessly, giving short answers to the many inquirers who came to know what was the matter.
doauxiliary verbUS /duː/
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading “What is there, do you ask?” she said, stretching out her plump hands, “there is nothing! there is that mademoiselle, the young _Anglaise_, has an _attaque des nerfs_.
doors
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Hotel Venat that night closed its doors upon many anxious and troubled souls.
giving
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The landlady was disturbed in her bureau, moving about restlessly, giving short answers to the many inquirers who came to know what was the matter.
handsplural nounUS /hændz/
members of a ship’s crew
From this reading “What is there, do you ask?” she said, stretching out her plump hands, “there is nothing! there is that mademoiselle, the young _Anglaise_, has an _attaque des nerfs_.
hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “What is there, do you ask?” she said, stretching out her plump hands, “there is nothing! there is that mademoiselle, the young _Anglaise_, has an _attaque des nerfs_.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading A certain agitation seemed to have crept through the house itself.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading The landlady was disturbed in her bureau, moving about restlessly, giving short answers to the many inquirers who came to know what was the matter.
Hotel
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Hotel Venat that night closed its doors upon many anxious and troubled souls.
house
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A certain agitation seemed to have crept through the house itself.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The landlady was disturbed in her bureau, moving about restlessly, giving short answers to the many inquirers who came to know what was the matter.
inquirers
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The landlady was disturbed in her bureau, moving about restlessly, giving short answers to the many inquirers who came to know what was the matter.
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “What is there, do you ask?” she said, stretching out her plump hands, “there is nothing! there is that mademoiselle, the young _Anglaise_, has an _attaque des nerfs_.
itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading The Hotel Venat that night closed its doors upon many anxious and troubled souls.
itselfpronounUS /ˌɪtˈself/
used when the thing doing the action is also its object
From this reading A certain agitation seemed to have crept through the house itself.
knownounUS /know/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The landlady was disturbed in her bureau, moving about restlessly, giving short answers to the many inquirers who came to know what was the matter.
landlady
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The landlady was disturbed in her bureau, moving about restlessly, giving short answers to the many inquirers who came to know what was the matter.
mademoiselle
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “What is there, do you ask?” she said, stretching out her plump hands, “there is nothing! there is that mademoiselle, the young _Anglaise_, has an _attaque des nerfs_.
many
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Hotel Venat that night closed its doors upon many anxious and troubled souls.
matter
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The landlady was disturbed in her bureau, moving about restlessly, giving short answers to the many inquirers who came to know what was the matter.
more
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Nothing could be more simple.
moving
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The landlady was disturbed in her bureau, moving about restlessly, giving short answers to the many inquirers who came to know what was the matter.
nerfs
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “What is there, do you ask?” she said, stretching out her plump hands, “there is nothing! there is that mademoiselle, the young _Anglaise_, has an _attaque des nerfs_.
night
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Hotel Venat that night closed its doors upon many anxious and troubled souls.
nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/
not one thing; not anything
From this reading “What is there, do you ask?” she said, stretching out her plump hands, “there is nothing! there is that mademoiselle, the young _Anglaise_, has an _attaque des nerfs_.
out
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “What is there, do you ask?” she said, stretching out her plump hands, “there is nothing! there is that mademoiselle, the young _Anglaise_, has an _attaque des nerfs_.
plump
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “What is there, do you ask?” she said, stretching out her plump hands, “there is nothing! there is that mademoiselle, the young _Anglaise_, has an _attaque des nerfs_.
restlessly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The landlady was disturbed in her bureau, moving about restlessly, giving short answers to the many inquirers who came to know what was the matter.
said
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “What is there, do you ask?” she said, stretching out her plump hands, “there is nothing! there is that mademoiselle, the young _Anglaise_, has an _attaque des nerfs_.
seemednounUS /seemed/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading A certain agitation seemed to have crept through the house itself.
shepronounUS /ʃiː/
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “What is there, do you ask?” she said, stretching out her plump hands, “there is nothing! there is that mademoiselle, the young _Anglaise_, has an _attaque des nerfs_.
shortadjectiveUS /ʃɔrt/
brief or direct in expression
From this reading The landlady was disturbed in her bureau, moving about restlessly, giving short answers to the many inquirers who came to know what was the matter.
simple
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Nothing could be more simple.
souls
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Hotel Venat that night closed its doors upon many anxious and troubled souls.
stretching
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “What is there, do you ask?” she said, stretching out her plump hands, “there is nothing! there is that mademoiselle, the young _Anglaise_, has an _attaque des nerfs_.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The Hotel Venat that night closed its doors upon many anxious and troubled souls.
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The Hotel Venat that night closed its doors upon many anxious and troubled souls.
there
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “What is there, do you ask?” she said, stretching out her plump hands, “there is nothing! there is that mademoiselle, the young _Anglaise_, has an _attaque des nerfs_.
throughnounUS /ˈthrough/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading A certain agitation seemed to have crept through the house itself.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading A certain agitation seemed to have crept through the house itself.
troubled
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Hotel Venat that night closed its doors upon many anxious and troubled souls.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading The Hotel Venat that night closed its doors upon many anxious and troubled souls.
Venat
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Hotel Venat that night closed its doors upon many anxious and troubled souls.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The landlady was disturbed in her bureau, moving about restlessly, giving short answers to the many inquirers who came to know what was the matter.
whatpronounUS /wʌt/
used to ask for information about something
From this reading The landlady was disturbed in her bureau, moving about restlessly, giving short answers to the many inquirers who came to know what was the matter.
whopronounUS /huː/
which person or people
From this reading The landlady was disturbed in her bureau, moving about restlessly, giving short answers to the many inquirers who came to know what was the matter.
youpronounUS /juː/
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “What is there, do you ask?” she said, stretching out her plump hands, “there is nothing! there is that mademoiselle, the young _Anglaise_, has an _attaque des nerfs_.
young
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “What is there, do you ask?” she said, stretching out her plump hands, “there is nothing! there is that mademoiselle, the young _Anglaise_, has an _attaque des nerfs_.
