AdeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A diversion was another portrait of himself, this time undertaken by Charles Noel Flagg.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading Clemens planned some literary work, but the beginning, after his long idleness, was hard.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Merry Christmas to you, and I wish to God I could have one myself before I die.
anotherdeterminerUS /əˈnʌðər/
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading A diversion was another portrait of himself, this time undertaken by Charles Noel Flagg.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The house was emptier that winter than before, for Susy was at Bryn Mawr.
beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Merry Christmas to you, and I wish to God I could have one myself before I die.
beginningnounUS /bɪˈɡɪnɪŋ/
the event consisting of the start of something
From this reading Clemens planned some literary work, but the beginning, after his long idleness, was hard.
Bryn
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The house was emptier that winter than before, for Susy was at Bryn Mawr.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Clemens planned some literary work, but the beginning, after his long idleness, was hard.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading A diversion was another portrait of himself, this time undertaken by Charles Noel Flagg.
CharlesnounUS /tʃɑːrlz/
King of France from 1560 to 1574 whose reign was dominated by his mother Catherine de Medicis (1550-1574)
From this reading A diversion was another portrait of himself, this time undertaken by Charles Noel Flagg.
ChristmasnounUS /ˈkrɪsməs/
period extending from Dec. 24 to Jan. 6
From this reading Merry Christmas to you, and I wish to God I could have one myself before I die.
ClemensnounUS /ˈklemənz/
United States writer and humorist best known for his novels about Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn (1835-1910)
From this reading Clemens planned some literary work, but the beginning, after his long idleness, was hard.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Merry Christmas to you, and I wish to God I could have one myself before I die.
dieverbUS /daɪ/
pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life
From this reading Merry Christmas to you, and I wish to God I could have one myself before I die.
diversionnounUS /daɪˈvɜːrʒən/
an activity that diverts or amuses or stimulates
From this reading A diversion was another portrait of himself, this time undertaken by Charles Noel Flagg.
emptieradjectiveUS /ˈemptiər/
comparative of “empty” — holding or containing nothing
From this reading The house was emptier that winter than before, for Susy was at Bryn Mawr.
enjoyedverbUS /ˌenˈdʒɔɪd/
past form of “enjoy” — derive or receive pleasure from; get enjoyment from; take pleasure in
From this reading Clemens rather enjoyed portrait-sittings.
Flagg
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A diversion was another portrait of himself, this time undertaken by Charles Noel Flagg.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The house was emptier that winter than before, for Susy was at Bryn Mawr.
GodnounUS /ɡɑːd/
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 Merry Christmas to you, and I wish to God I could have one myself before I die.
hardadjectiveUS /hɑːrd/
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading Clemens planned some literary work, but the beginning, after his long idleness, was hard.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Merry Christmas to you, and I wish to God I could have one myself before I die.
himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading A diversion was another portrait of himself, this time undertaken by Charles Noel Flagg.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Clemens planned some literary work, but the beginning, after his long idleness, was hard.
housenounUS /haʊs/
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading The house was emptier that winter than before, for Susy was at Bryn Mawr.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Merry Christmas to you, and I wish to God I could have one myself before I die.
idlenessnounUS /ˈaɪdəlnəs/
having no employment
From this reading Clemens planned some literary work, but the beginning, after his long idleness, was hard.
literaryadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəreri/
of or relating to or characteristic of literature
From this reading Clemens planned some literary work, but the beginning, after his long idleness, was hard.
longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading Clemens planned some literary work, but the beginning, after his long idleness, was hard.
Mawr
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The house was emptier that winter than before, for Susy was at Bryn Mawr.
MerryadjectiveUS /ˈmeri/
full of or showing high-spirited merriment
From this reading Merry Christmas to you, and I wish to God I could have one myself before I die.
myselfpronounUS /ˌmaɪˈself/
used when the speaker is also the object of the action
From this reading Merry Christmas to you, and I wish to God I could have one myself before I die.
NoelnounUS /noʊˈel/
period extending from Dec. 24 to Jan. 6
From this reading A diversion was another portrait of himself, this time undertaken by Charles Noel Flagg.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A diversion was another portrait of himself, this time undertaken by Charles Noel Flagg.
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Merry Christmas to you, and I wish to God I could have one myself before I die.
plannedadjectiveUS /plænd/
designed or carried out according to a plan
From this reading Clemens planned some literary work, but the beginning, after his long idleness, was hard.
portraitnounUS /ˈpɔːrtrət/
a word picture of a person's appearance and character
From this reading A diversion was another portrait of himself, this time undertaken by Charles Noel Flagg.
portrait-sittings
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Clemens rather enjoyed portrait-sittings.
ratheradverbUS /ˈræðər/
on the contrary
From this reading Clemens rather enjoyed portrait-sittings.
someadjectiveUS /sʌm/
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Clemens planned some literary work, but the beginning, after his long idleness, was hard.
Susy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The house was emptier that winter than before, for Susy was at Bryn Mawr.
thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading The house was emptier that winter than before, for Susy was at Bryn Mawr.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The house was emptier that winter than before, for Susy was at Bryn Mawr.
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The house was emptier that winter than before, for Susy was at Bryn Mawr.
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading A diversion was another portrait of himself, this time undertaken by Charles Noel Flagg.
timenounUS /taɪm/
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading A diversion was another portrait of himself, this time undertaken by Charles Noel Flagg.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Merry Christmas to you, and I wish to God I could have one myself before I die.
undertakenverbUS /ˈʌndərteɪkən/
inflected form of “undertake” — enter upon an activity or enterprise
From this reading A diversion was another portrait of himself, this time undertaken by Charles Noel Flagg.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The house was emptier that winter than before, for Susy was at Bryn Mawr.
winternounUS /ˈwɪntər/
the coldest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the winter solstice to the vernal equinox
From this reading The house was emptier that winter than before, for Susy was at Bryn Mawr.
wishverbUS /wɪʃ/
hope for; have a wish
From this reading Merry Christmas to you, and I wish to God I could have one myself before I die.
workverbUS /wɜːrk/
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading Clemens planned some literary work, but the beginning, after his long idleness, was hard.
youpronounUS /juː/
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Merry Christmas to you, and I wish to God I could have one myself before I die.
