adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Early one evening, struggling with a sonnet that twisted all awry the beauty and thought that trailed in glow and vapor through his brain, Martin was called to the telephone.
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 Early one evening, struggling with a sonnet that twisted all awry the beauty and thought that trailed in glow and vapor through his brain, Martin was called to the telephone.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Early one evening, struggling with a sonnet that twisted all awry the beauty and thought that trailed in glow and vapor through his brain, Martin was called to the telephone.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Martin went to the telephone in the corner of the room, and felt a wave of warmth rush through him as he heard Ruth’s voice.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading In his battle with the sonnet he had forgotten her existence, and at the sound of her voice his love for her smote him like a sudden blow.
awryadjectiveUS /ərˈaɪ/
turned or twisted toward one side
From this reading Early one evening, struggling with a sonnet that twisted all awry the beauty and thought that trailed in glow and vapor through his brain, Martin was called to the telephone.
battlenounUS /ˈbætəl/
a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war
From this reading In his battle with the sonnet he had forgotten her existence, and at the sound of her voice his love for her smote him like a sudden blow.
beautynounUS /ˈbjuːti/
the qualities that give pleasure to the senses
From this reading Early one evening, struggling with a sonnet that twisted all awry the beauty and thought that trailed in glow and vapor through his brain, Martin was called to the telephone.
bellnounUS /bel/
a hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck
From this reading And such a voice!—delicate and sweet, like a strain of music heard far off and faint, or, better, like a bell of silver, a perfect tone, crystal-pure.
betteradjectiveUS /ˈbetər/
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading And such a voice!—delicate and sweet, like a strain of music heard far off and faint, or, better, like a bell of silver, a perfect tone, crystal-pure.
blowverbUS /bloʊ/
exhale hard
From this reading In his battle with the sonnet he had forgotten her existence, and at the sound of her voice his love for her smote him like a sudden blow.
brainnounUS /breɪn/
that part of the central nervous system that includes all the higher nervous centers; enclosed within the skull; continuous with the spinal cord
From this reading Early one evening, struggling with a sonnet that twisted all awry the beauty and thought that trailed in glow and vapor through his brain, Martin was called to the telephone.
calledverbUS /kɔːld/
past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading Early one evening, struggling with a sonnet that twisted all awry the beauty and thought that trailed in glow and vapor through his brain, Martin was called to the telephone.
cornernounUS /ˈkɔːrnər/
a place off to the side of an area
From this reading Martin went to the telephone in the corner of the room, and felt a wave of warmth rush through him as he heard Ruth’s voice.
crystal-pure
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And such a voice!—delicate and sweet, like a strain of music heard far off and faint, or, better, like a bell of silver, a perfect tone, crystal-pure.
delicateadjectiveUS /ˈdeləkət/
exquisitely fine and subtle and pleasing; susceptible to injury
From this reading And such a voice!—delicate and sweet, like a strain of music heard far off and faint, or, better, like a bell of silver, a perfect tone, crystal-pure.
EarlyadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrli/
at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time
From this reading Early one evening, struggling with a sonnet that twisted all awry the beauty and thought that trailed in glow and vapor through his brain, Martin was called to the telephone.
eveningnounUS /ˈiːvnɪŋ/
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading Early one evening, struggling with a sonnet that twisted all awry the beauty and thought that trailed in glow and vapor through his brain, Martin was called to the telephone.
existencenounUS /eɡˈzɪstəns/
the state or fact of existing
From this reading In his battle with the sonnet he had forgotten her existence, and at the sound of her voice his love for her smote him like a sudden blow.
faintadjectiveUS /feɪnt/
deficient in magnitude; barely perceptible; lacking clarity or brightness or loudness etc
From this reading And such a voice!—delicate and sweet, like a strain of music heard far off and faint, or, better, like a bell of silver, a perfect tone, crystal-pure.
faradverbUS /fɑːr/
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading And such a voice!—delicate and sweet, like a strain of music heard far off and faint, or, better, like a bell of silver, a perfect tone, crystal-pure.
feltverbUS /felt/
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading Martin went to the telephone in the corner of the room, and felt a wave of warmth rush through him as he heard Ruth’s voice.
fineadjectiveUS /faɪn/
being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition
From this reading “It’s a lady’s voice, a fine lady’s,” Mr. Higginbotham, who had called him, jeered.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading In his battle with the sonnet he had forgotten her existence, and at the sound of her voice his love for her smote him like a sudden blow.
forgottenadjectiveUS /fərˈɡɑːt.n̩/
Not remembered; lapsed from memory.
From this reading In his battle with the sonnet he had forgotten her existence, and at the sound of her voice his love for her smote him like a sudden blow.
glownounUS /ɡloʊ/
an alert and refreshed state
From this reading Early one evening, struggling with a sonnet that twisted all awry the beauty and thought that trailed in glow and vapor through his brain, Martin was called to the telephone.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading “It’s a lady’s voice, a fine lady’s,” Mr. Higginbotham, who had called him, jeered.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Martin went to the telephone in the corner of the room, and felt a wave of warmth rush through him as he heard Ruth’s voice.
heardadjectiveUS /hɜːrd/
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading Martin went to the telephone in the corner of the room, and felt a wave of warmth rush through him as he heard Ruth’s voice.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading In his battle with the sonnet he had forgotten her existence, and at the sound of her voice his love for her smote him like a sudden blow.
Higginbotham
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “It’s a lady’s voice, a fine lady’s,” Mr. Higginbotham, who had called him, jeered.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “It’s a lady’s voice, a fine lady’s,” Mr. Higginbotham, who had called him, jeered.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Early one evening, struggling with a sonnet that twisted all awry the beauty and thought that trailed in glow and vapor through his brain, Martin was called to the telephone.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Early one evening, struggling with a sonnet that twisted all awry the beauty and thought that trailed in glow and vapor through his brain, Martin was called to the telephone.
It's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “It’s a lady’s voice, a fine lady’s,” Mr. Higginbotham, who had called him, jeered.
jeeredverbUS /dʒɪrd/
past form of “jeer” — laugh at with contempt and derision
From this reading “It’s a lady’s voice, a fine lady’s,” Mr. Higginbotham, who had called him, jeered.
lady'snounUS /ˈleɪdiz/
possessive form of “lady” — a polite name for any woman
From this reading “It’s a lady’s voice, a fine lady’s,” Mr. Higginbotham, who had called him, jeered.
likeverbUS /laɪk/
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading In his battle with the sonnet he had forgotten her existence, and at the sound of her voice his love for her smote him like a sudden blow.
lovenounUS /lʌv/
a strong positive emotion of regard and affection
From this reading In his battle with the sonnet he had forgotten her existence, and at the sound of her voice his love for her smote him like a sudden blow.
MartinnounUS /ˈmɑːrtən/
French bishop who is a patron saint of France (died in 397)
From this reading Early one evening, struggling with a sonnet that twisted all awry the beauty and thought that trailed in glow and vapor through his brain, Martin was called to the telephone.
MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/
a form of address for a man
From this reading “It’s a lady’s voice, a fine lady’s,” Mr. Higginbotham, who had called him, jeered.
musicnounUS /ˈmjuːzɪk/
an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner
From this reading And such a voice!—delicate and sweet, like a strain of music heard far off and faint, or, better, like a bell of silver, a perfect tone, crystal-pure.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Martin went to the telephone in the corner of the room, and felt a wave of warmth rush through him as he heard Ruth’s voice.
offadverbUS /ɔːf/
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading And such a voice!—delicate and sweet, like a strain of music heard far off and faint, or, better, like a bell of silver, a perfect tone, crystal-pure.
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Early one evening, struggling with a sonnet that twisted all awry the beauty and thought that trailed in glow and vapor through his brain, Martin was called to the telephone.
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading And such a voice!—delicate and sweet, like a strain of music heard far off and faint, or, better, like a bell of silver, a perfect tone, crystal-pure.
perfectadjectiveUS /pərˈfekt/
being complete of its kind and without defect or blemish
From this reading And such a voice!—delicate and sweet, like a strain of music heard far off and faint, or, better, like a bell of silver, a perfect tone, crystal-pure.
roomnounUS /ruːm/
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading Martin went to the telephone in the corner of the room, and felt a wave of warmth rush through him as he heard Ruth’s voice.
rushverbUS /rʌʃ/
move hurridly
From this reading Martin went to the telephone in the corner of the room, and felt a wave of warmth rush through him as he heard Ruth’s voice.
Ruth'snounUS /ruːθs/
possessive form of “ruth” — United States professional baseball player famous for hitting home runs (1895-1948)
From this reading Martin went to the telephone in the corner of the room, and felt a wave of warmth rush through him as he heard Ruth’s voice.
silvernounUS /ˈsɪlvər/
a soft white precious univalent metallic element having the highest electrical and thermal conductivity of any metal; occurs in argentite and in free form; used in coins and jewelry and tableware and photography
From this reading And such a voice!—delicate and sweet, like a strain of music heard far off and faint, or, better, like a bell of silver, a perfect tone, crystal-pure.
smote
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In his battle with the sonnet he had forgotten her existence, and at the sound of her voice his love for her smote him like a sudden blow.
sonnetnounUS /ˈsɑːnɪt/
a verse form consisting of 14 lines with a fixed rhyme scheme
From this reading Early one evening, struggling with a sonnet that twisted all awry the beauty and thought that trailed in glow and vapor through his brain, Martin was called to the telephone.
soundnounUS /saʊnd/
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading In his battle with the sonnet he had forgotten her existence, and at the sound of her voice his love for her smote him like a sudden blow.
strainnounUS /streɪn/
(physics) deformation of a physical body under the action of applied forces
From this reading And such a voice!—delicate and sweet, like a strain of music heard far off and faint, or, better, like a bell of silver, a perfect tone, crystal-pure.
strugglingadjectiveUS /ˈstrʌɡəlɪŋ/
engaged in a struggle to overcome especially poverty or obscurity
From this reading Early one evening, struggling with a sonnet that twisted all awry the beauty and thought that trailed in glow and vapor through his brain, Martin was called to the telephone.
suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading And such a voice!—delicate and sweet, like a strain of music heard far off and faint, or, better, like a bell of silver, a perfect tone, crystal-pure.
suddenadjectiveUS /ˈsʌdən/
happening without warning or in a short space of time
From this reading In his battle with the sonnet he had forgotten her existence, and at the sound of her voice his love for her smote him like a sudden blow.
sweetadjectiveUS /swiːt/
having or denoting the characteristic taste of sugar
From this reading And such a voice!—delicate and sweet, like a strain of music heard far off and faint, or, better, like a bell of silver, a perfect tone, crystal-pure.
telephonenounUS /ˈteləfoʊn/
electronic equipment that converts sound into electrical signals that can be transmitted over distances and then converts received signals back into sounds
From this reading Early one evening, struggling with a sonnet that twisted all awry the beauty and thought that trailed in glow and vapor through his brain, Martin was called to the telephone.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Early one evening, struggling with a sonnet that twisted all awry the beauty and thought that trailed in glow and vapor through his brain, Martin was called to the telephone.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Early one evening, struggling with a sonnet that twisted all awry the beauty and thought that trailed in glow and vapor through his brain, Martin was called to the telephone.
thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading Early one evening, struggling with a sonnet that twisted all awry the beauty and thought that trailed in glow and vapor through his brain, Martin was called to the telephone.
throughprepositionUS /θruː/
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading Early one evening, struggling with a sonnet that twisted all awry the beauty and thought that trailed in glow and vapor through his brain, Martin was called to the telephone.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Early one evening, struggling with a sonnet that twisted all awry the beauty and thought that trailed in glow and vapor through his brain, Martin was called to the telephone.
tonenounUS /toʊn/
the quality of a person's voice
From this reading And such a voice!—delicate and sweet, like a strain of music heard far off and faint, or, better, like a bell of silver, a perfect tone, crystal-pure.
trailedverbUS /treɪld/
past form of “trail” — to lag or linger behind
From this reading Early one evening, struggling with a sonnet that twisted all awry the beauty and thought that trailed in glow and vapor through his brain, Martin was called to the telephone.
twistedadjectiveUS /ˈtwɪstɪd/
having an intended meaning altered or misrepresented
From this reading Early one evening, struggling with a sonnet that twisted all awry the beauty and thought that trailed in glow and vapor through his brain, Martin was called to the telephone.
vapornounUS /ˈveɪpər/
a visible suspension in the air of particles of some substance
From this reading Early one evening, struggling with a sonnet that twisted all awry the beauty and thought that trailed in glow and vapor through his brain, Martin was called to the telephone.
voicenounUS /vɔɪs/
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading “It’s a lady’s voice, a fine lady’s,” Mr. Higginbotham, who had called him, jeered.
warmthnounUS /wɔːrmθ/
the sensation caused by heat energy
From this reading Martin went to the telephone in the corner of the room, and felt a wave of warmth rush through him as he heard Ruth’s voice.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Early one evening, struggling with a sonnet that twisted all awry the beauty and thought that trailed in glow and vapor through his brain, Martin was called to the telephone.
wavenounUS /weɪv/
one of a series of ridges that moves across the surface of a liquid (especially across a large body of water)
From this reading Martin went to the telephone in the corner of the room, and felt a wave of warmth rush through him as he heard Ruth’s voice.
wentverbUS /went/
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Martin went to the telephone in the corner of the room, and felt a wave of warmth rush through him as he heard Ruth’s voice.
whopronounUS /huː/
which person or people
From this reading “It’s a lady’s voice, a fine lady’s,” Mr. Higginbotham, who had called him, jeered.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading Early one evening, struggling with a sonnet that twisted all awry the beauty and thought that trailed in glow and vapor through his brain, Martin was called to the telephone.
