adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading And among all assembled there you could hear a pin drop.
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 And among all assembled there you could hear a pin drop.
amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/
surrounded by; in the middle of a group
From this reading And among all assembled there you could hear a pin drop.
AndconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading And Marco Polo was brought into the presence.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading At the north end of the great hall sat the Khan himself, and Marco Polo nearly dropped with surprise; for where he expected a great, magnificent figure of a man, with majesty shining from his eyes, he saw only a pleasant, bearded man, not quarter so well dressed as the meanest servant on the room, and a fine, welcoming smile in his face.
assembledverbUS /əˈsembəld/
past form of “assemble” — create by putting components or members together
From this reading And among all assembled there you could hear a pin drop.
AtprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At the north end of the great hall sat the Khan himself, and Marco Polo nearly dropped with surprise; for where he expected a great, magnificent figure of a man, with majesty shining from his eyes, he saw only a pleasant, bearded man, not quarter so well dressed as the meanest servant on the room, and a fine, welcoming smile in his face.
baronsnounUS /ˈbærənz/
plural of “baron” — a nobleman (in various countries) of varying rank
From this reading And beneath these were the barons and dukes and knights.
beardedadjectiveUS /ˈbɪrdəd/
having hair on the cheeks and chin
From this reading At the north end of the great hall sat the Khan himself, and Marco Polo nearly dropped with surprise; for where he expected a great, magnificent figure of a man, with majesty shining from his eyes, he saw only a pleasant, bearded man, not quarter so well dressed as the meanest servant on the room, and a fine, welcoming smile in his face.
beneathprepositionUS /bɪˈniːθ/
Directly under; in or to a lower position than.
From this reading His throne was elevated so that his feet were on the level of the heads of the kinsmen of the Blood Royal beneath him, and they in silk and ermine and fine brocades and jewels.
BloodnounUS /blʌd/
The red fluid that circulates in the heart and blood vessels.
From this reading His throne was elevated so that his feet were on the level of the heads of the kinsmen of the Blood Royal beneath him, and they in silk and ermine and fine brocades and jewels.
brocadesnounUS /broʊˈkeɪdz/
plural of “brocade” — thick heavy expensive material with a raised pattern
From this reading His throne was elevated so that his feet were on the level of the heads of the kinsmen of the Blood Royal beneath him, and they in silk and ermine and fine brocades and jewels.
broughtverbUS /brɔːt/
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading And Marco Polo was brought into the presence.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading And among all assembled there you could hear a pin drop.
dressedadjectiveUS /drest/
dressed or clothed especially in fine attire; often used in combination
From this reading At the north end of the great hall sat the Khan himself, and Marco Polo nearly dropped with surprise; for where he expected a great, magnificent figure of a man, with majesty shining from his eyes, he saw only a pleasant, bearded man, not quarter so well dressed as the meanest servant on the room, and a fine, welcoming smile in his face.
dropverbUS /drɑːp/
let fall to the ground
From this reading And among all assembled there you could hear a pin drop.
droppedverbUS /drɑːpt/
inflected form of “drop” — let fall to the ground
From this reading At the north end of the great hall sat the Khan himself, and Marco Polo nearly dropped with surprise; for where he expected a great, magnificent figure of a man, with majesty shining from his eyes, he saw only a pleasant, bearded man, not quarter so well dressed as the meanest servant on the room, and a fine, welcoming smile in his face.
dukesnounUS /duːks/
plural of “duke” — a British peer of the highest rank
From this reading And beneath these were the barons and dukes and knights.
elevatedadjectiveUS /ˈeləveɪtɪd/
raised above the ground
From this reading His throne was elevated so that his feet were on the level of the heads of the kinsmen of the Blood Royal beneath him, and they in silk and ermine and fine brocades and jewels.
endnounUS /end/
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading At the north end of the great hall sat the Khan himself, and Marco Polo nearly dropped with surprise; for where he expected a great, magnificent figure of a man, with majesty shining from his eyes, he saw only a pleasant, bearded man, not quarter so well dressed as the meanest servant on the room, and a fine, welcoming smile in his face.
erminenounUS /ˈɜːrmən/
the expensive white fur of the ermine
From this reading His throne was elevated so that his feet were on the level of the heads of the kinsmen of the Blood Royal beneath him, and they in silk and ermine and fine brocades and jewels.
expectedadjectiveUS /ɪkˈspektəd/
considered likely or probable to happen or arrive
From this reading At the north end of the great hall sat the Khan himself, and Marco Polo nearly dropped with surprise; for where he expected a great, magnificent figure of a man, with majesty shining from his eyes, he saw only a pleasant, bearded man, not quarter so well dressed as the meanest servant on the room, and a fine, welcoming smile in his face.
eyesnounUS /aɪz/
opinion or judgment
From this reading At the north end of the great hall sat the Khan himself, and Marco Polo nearly dropped with surprise; for where he expected a great, magnificent figure of a man, with majesty shining from his eyes, he saw only a pleasant, bearded man, not quarter so well dressed as the meanest servant on the room, and a fine, welcoming smile in his face.
facenounUS /feɪs/
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading At the north end of the great hall sat the Khan himself, and Marco Polo nearly dropped with surprise; for where he expected a great, magnificent figure of a man, with majesty shining from his eyes, he saw only a pleasant, bearded man, not quarter so well dressed as the meanest servant on the room, and a fine, welcoming smile in his face.
feetnounUS /fiːt/
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading His throne was elevated so that his feet were on the level of the heads of the kinsmen of the Blood Royal beneath him, and they in silk and ermine and fine brocades and jewels.
figurenounUS /ˈfɪɡjər/
a diagram or picture illustrating textual material
From this reading At the north end of the great hall sat the Khan himself, and Marco Polo nearly dropped with surprise; for where he expected a great, magnificent figure of a man, with majesty shining from his eyes, he saw only a pleasant, bearded man, not quarter so well dressed as the meanest servant on the room, and a fine, welcoming smile in his face.
fineadjectiveUS /faɪn/
being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition
From this reading At the north end of the great hall sat the Khan himself, and Marco Polo nearly dropped with surprise; for where he expected a great, magnificent figure of a man, with majesty shining from his eyes, he saw only a pleasant, bearded man, not quarter so well dressed as the meanest servant on the room, and a fine, welcoming smile in his face.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading At the north end of the great hall sat the Khan himself, and Marco Polo nearly dropped with surprise; for where he expected a great, magnificent figure of a man, with majesty shining from his eyes, he saw only a pleasant, bearded man, not quarter so well dressed as the meanest servant on the room, and a fine, welcoming smile in his face.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading At the north end of the great hall sat the Khan himself, and Marco Polo nearly dropped with surprise; for where he expected a great, magnificent figure of a man, with majesty shining from his eyes, he saw only a pleasant, bearded man, not quarter so well dressed as the meanest servant on the room, and a fine, welcoming smile in his face.
greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading At the north end of the great hall sat the Khan himself, and Marco Polo nearly dropped with surprise; for where he expected a great, magnificent figure of a man, with majesty shining from his eyes, he saw only a pleasant, bearded man, not quarter so well dressed as the meanest servant on the room, and a fine, welcoming smile in his face.
hallnounUS /hɔːl/
an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open
From this reading At the north end of the great hall sat the Khan himself, and Marco Polo nearly dropped with surprise; for where he expected a great, magnificent figure of a man, with majesty shining from his eyes, he saw only a pleasant, bearded man, not quarter so well dressed as the meanest servant on the room, and a fine, welcoming smile in his face.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading At the north end of the great hall sat the Khan himself, and Marco Polo nearly dropped with surprise; for where he expected a great, magnificent figure of a man, with majesty shining from his eyes, he saw only a pleasant, bearded man, not quarter so well dressed as the meanest servant on the room, and a fine, welcoming smile in his face.
headsnounUS /hedz/
plural of “head” — the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading His throne was elevated so that his feet were on the level of the heads of the kinsmen of the Blood Royal beneath him, and they in silk and ermine and fine brocades and jewels.
hearverbUS /hiːr/
perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
From this reading And among all assembled there you could hear a pin drop.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading His throne was elevated so that his feet were on the level of the heads of the kinsmen of the Blood Royal beneath him, and they in silk and ermine and fine brocades and jewels.
himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading At the north end of the great hall sat the Khan himself, and Marco Polo nearly dropped with surprise; for where he expected a great, magnificent figure of a man, with majesty shining from his eyes, he saw only a pleasant, bearded man, not quarter so well dressed as the meanest servant on the room, and a fine, welcoming smile in his face.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading At the north end of the great hall sat the Khan himself, and Marco Polo nearly dropped with surprise; for where he expected a great, magnificent figure of a man, with majesty shining from his eyes, he saw only a pleasant, bearded man, not quarter so well dressed as the meanest servant on the room, and a fine, welcoming smile in his face.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading At the north end of the great hall sat the Khan himself, and Marco Polo nearly dropped with surprise; for where he expected a great, magnificent figure of a man, with majesty shining from his eyes, he saw only a pleasant, bearded man, not quarter so well dressed as the meanest servant on the room, and a fine, welcoming smile in his face.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading And Marco Polo was brought into the presence.
jewelsnounUS /ˈdʒuːəlz/
plural of “jewel” — a precious or semiprecious stone incorporated into a piece of jewelry
From this reading His throne was elevated so that his feet were on the level of the heads of the kinsmen of the Blood Royal beneath him, and they in silk and ermine and fine brocades and jewels.
KhannounUS /kɑːn/
a title given to rulers or other important people in Asian countries
From this reading At the north end of the great hall sat the Khan himself, and Marco Polo nearly dropped with surprise; for where he expected a great, magnificent figure of a man, with majesty shining from his eyes, he saw only a pleasant, bearded man, not quarter so well dressed as the meanest servant on the room, and a fine, welcoming smile in his face.
kinsmen
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading His throne was elevated so that his feet were on the level of the heads of the kinsmen of the Blood Royal beneath him, and they in silk and ermine and fine brocades and jewels.
knightsnounUS /naɪts/
plural of “knight” — originally a person of noble birth trained to arms and chivalry; today in Great Britain a person honored by the sovereign for personal merit
From this reading And beneath these were the barons and dukes and knights.
levelnounUS /ˈlevəl/
a position on a scale of intensity or amount or quality
From this reading His throne was elevated so that his feet were on the level of the heads of the kinsmen of the Blood Royal beneath him, and they in silk and ermine and fine brocades and jewels.
magnificentadjectiveUS /mæɡˈnɪfəsənt/
characterized by grandeur
From this reading At the north end of the great hall sat the Khan himself, and Marco Polo nearly dropped with surprise; for where he expected a great, magnificent figure of a man, with majesty shining from his eyes, he saw only a pleasant, bearded man, not quarter so well dressed as the meanest servant on the room, and a fine, welcoming smile in his face.
majestynounUS /ˈmædʒəsti/
impressiveness in scale or proportion
From this reading At the north end of the great hall sat the Khan himself, and Marco Polo nearly dropped with surprise; for where he expected a great, magnificent figure of a man, with majesty shining from his eyes, he saw only a pleasant, bearded man, not quarter so well dressed as the meanest servant on the room, and a fine, welcoming smile in his face.
mannounUS /mæn/
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading At the north end of the great hall sat the Khan himself, and Marco Polo nearly dropped with surprise; for where he expected a great, magnificent figure of a man, with majesty shining from his eyes, he saw only a pleasant, bearded man, not quarter so well dressed as the meanest servant on the room, and a fine, welcoming smile in his face.
Marco
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And Marco Polo was brought into the presence.
meanestadjectiveUS /ˈmiːnəst/
superlative of “mean” — approximating the statistical norm or average or expected value
From this reading At the north end of the great hall sat the Khan himself, and Marco Polo nearly dropped with surprise; for where he expected a great, magnificent figure of a man, with majesty shining from his eyes, he saw only a pleasant, bearded man, not quarter so well dressed as the meanest servant on the room, and a fine, welcoming smile in his face.
nearlyadverbUS /ˈnɪrli/
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading At the north end of the great hall sat the Khan himself, and Marco Polo nearly dropped with surprise; for where he expected a great, magnificent figure of a man, with majesty shining from his eyes, he saw only a pleasant, bearded man, not quarter so well dressed as the meanest servant on the room, and a fine, welcoming smile in his face.
northnounUS /nɔːrθ/
the region of the United States lying to the north of the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading At the north end of the great hall sat the Khan himself, and Marco Polo nearly dropped with surprise; for where he expected a great, magnificent figure of a man, with majesty shining from his eyes, he saw only a pleasant, bearded man, not quarter so well dressed as the meanest servant on the room, and a fine, welcoming smile in his face.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading At the north end of the great hall sat the Khan himself, and Marco Polo nearly dropped with surprise; for where he expected a great, magnificent figure of a man, with majesty shining from his eyes, he saw only a pleasant, bearded man, not quarter so well dressed as the meanest servant on the room, and a fine, welcoming smile in his face.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading At the north end of the great hall sat the Khan himself, and Marco Polo nearly dropped with surprise; for where he expected a great, magnificent figure of a man, with majesty shining from his eyes, he saw only a pleasant, bearded man, not quarter so well dressed as the meanest servant on the room, and a fine, welcoming smile in his face.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading At the north end of the great hall sat the Khan himself, and Marco Polo nearly dropped with surprise; for where he expected a great, magnificent figure of a man, with majesty shining from his eyes, he saw only a pleasant, bearded man, not quarter so well dressed as the meanest servant on the room, and a fine, welcoming smile in his face.
onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/
and nothing more
From this reading At the north end of the great hall sat the Khan himself, and Marco Polo nearly dropped with surprise; for where he expected a great, magnificent figure of a man, with majesty shining from his eyes, he saw only a pleasant, bearded man, not quarter so well dressed as the meanest servant on the room, and a fine, welcoming smile in his face.
pinverbUS /pɪn/
to hold fast or prevent from moving
From this reading And among all assembled there you could hear a pin drop.
pleasantadjectiveUS /ˈplezənt/
affording pleasure; being in harmony with your taste or likings
From this reading At the north end of the great hall sat the Khan himself, and Marco Polo nearly dropped with surprise; for where he expected a great, magnificent figure of a man, with majesty shining from his eyes, he saw only a pleasant, bearded man, not quarter so well dressed as the meanest servant on the room, and a fine, welcoming smile in his face.
PolonounUS /ˈpoʊloʊ/
Venetian traveler who explored Asia in the 13th century and served Kublai Khan (1254-1324)
From this reading And Marco Polo was brought into the presence.
presencenounUS /ˈprezəns/
the state of being present; current existence
From this reading And Marco Polo was brought into the presence.
quarternounUS /ˈkwɔːrtər/
one of four equal parts
From this reading At the north end of the great hall sat the Khan himself, and Marco Polo nearly dropped with surprise; for where he expected a great, magnificent figure of a man, with majesty shining from his eyes, he saw only a pleasant, bearded man, not quarter so well dressed as the meanest servant on the room, and a fine, welcoming smile in his face.
roomnounUS /ruːm/
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading At the north end of the great hall sat the Khan himself, and Marco Polo nearly dropped with surprise; for where he expected a great, magnificent figure of a man, with majesty shining from his eyes, he saw only a pleasant, bearded man, not quarter so well dressed as the meanest servant on the room, and a fine, welcoming smile in his face.
RoyaladjectiveUS /ˈrɔɪəl/
of or relating to or indicative of or issued or performed by a king or queen or other monarch
From this reading His throne was elevated so that his feet were on the level of the heads of the kinsmen of the Blood Royal beneath him, and they in silk and ermine and fine brocades and jewels.
satnounUS /sæt/
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading At the north end of the great hall sat the Khan himself, and Marco Polo nearly dropped with surprise; for where he expected a great, magnificent figure of a man, with majesty shining from his eyes, he saw only a pleasant, bearded man, not quarter so well dressed as the meanest servant on the room, and a fine, welcoming smile in his face.
sawverbUS /sɔː/
cut with a saw
From this reading At the north end of the great hall sat the Khan himself, and Marco Polo nearly dropped with surprise; for where he expected a great, magnificent figure of a man, with majesty shining from his eyes, he saw only a pleasant, bearded man, not quarter so well dressed as the meanest servant on the room, and a fine, welcoming smile in his face.
servantnounUS /ˈsɜːrvənt/
a person working in the service of another (especially in the household)
From this reading At the north end of the great hall sat the Khan himself, and Marco Polo nearly dropped with surprise; for where he expected a great, magnificent figure of a man, with majesty shining from his eyes, he saw only a pleasant, bearded man, not quarter so well dressed as the meanest servant on the room, and a fine, welcoming smile in his face.
shiningadjectiveUS /ˈʃaɪnɪŋ/
marked by exceptional merit
From this reading At the north end of the great hall sat the Khan himself, and Marco Polo nearly dropped with surprise; for where he expected a great, magnificent figure of a man, with majesty shining from his eyes, he saw only a pleasant, bearded man, not quarter so well dressed as the meanest servant on the room, and a fine, welcoming smile in his face.
silknounUS /sɪlk/
a fabric made from the fine threads produced by certain insect larvae
From this reading His throne was elevated so that his feet were on the level of the heads of the kinsmen of the Blood Royal beneath him, and they in silk and ermine and fine brocades and jewels.
smileverbUS /smaɪl/
change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure
From this reading At the north end of the great hall sat the Khan himself, and Marco Polo nearly dropped with surprise; for where he expected a great, magnificent figure of a man, with majesty shining from his eyes, he saw only a pleasant, bearded man, not quarter so well dressed as the meanest servant on the room, and a fine, welcoming smile in his face.
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading At the north end of the great hall sat the Khan himself, and Marco Polo nearly dropped with surprise; for where he expected a great, magnificent figure of a man, with majesty shining from his eyes, he saw only a pleasant, bearded man, not quarter so well dressed as the meanest servant on the room, and a fine, welcoming smile in his face.
surprisenounUS /sərˈpraɪz/
the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you
From this reading At the north end of the great hall sat the Khan himself, and Marco Polo nearly dropped with surprise; for where he expected a great, magnificent figure of a man, with majesty shining from his eyes, he saw only a pleasant, bearded man, not quarter so well dressed as the meanest servant on the room, and a fine, welcoming smile in his face.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading His throne was elevated so that his feet were on the level of the heads of the kinsmen of the Blood Royal beneath him, and they in silk and ermine and fine brocades and jewels.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading And Marco Polo was brought into the presence.
thereadverbUS /ðer/
in or at that place or location
From this reading And among all assembled there you could hear a pin drop.
thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading And beneath these were the barons and dukes and knights.
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading His throne was elevated so that his feet were on the level of the heads of the kinsmen of the Blood Royal beneath him, and they in silk and ermine and fine brocades and jewels.
thronenounUS /θroʊn/
the chair of state for a monarch, bishop, etc.
From this reading His throne was elevated so that his feet were on the level of the heads of the kinsmen of the Blood Royal beneath him, and they in silk and ermine and fine brocades and jewels.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading And Marco Polo was brought into the presence.
welcomingadjectiveUS /ˈwelkəmɪŋ/
very cordial
From this reading At the north end of the great hall sat the Khan himself, and Marco Polo nearly dropped with surprise; for where he expected a great, magnificent figure of a man, with majesty shining from his eyes, he saw only a pleasant, bearded man, not quarter so well dressed as the meanest servant on the room, and a fine, welcoming smile in his face.
welladverbUS /wel/
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading At the north end of the great hall sat the Khan himself, and Marco Polo nearly dropped with surprise; for where he expected a great, magnificent figure of a man, with majesty shining from his eyes, he saw only a pleasant, bearded man, not quarter so well dressed as the meanest servant on the room, and a fine, welcoming smile in his face.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading His throne was elevated so that his feet were on the level of the heads of the kinsmen of the Blood Royal beneath him, and they in silk and ermine and fine brocades and jewels.
whereconjunctionUS /wer/
in or at the place that
From this reading At the north end of the great hall sat the Khan himself, and Marco Polo nearly dropped with surprise; for where he expected a great, magnificent figure of a man, with majesty shining from his eyes, he saw only a pleasant, bearded man, not quarter so well dressed as the meanest servant on the room, and a fine, welcoming smile in his face.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading At the north end of the great hall sat the Khan himself, and Marco Polo nearly dropped with surprise; for where he expected a great, magnificent figure of a man, with majesty shining from his eyes, he saw only a pleasant, bearded man, not quarter so well dressed as the meanest servant on the room, and a fine, welcoming smile in his face.
youpronounUS /juː/
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading And among all assembled there you could hear a pin drop.
