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 John Claverhouse was a moon-faced man.
againstprepositionUS /əˈɡenst/
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading You know the kind, cheek-bones wide apart, chin and forehead melting into the cheeks to complete the perfect round, and the nose, broad and pudgy, equidistant from the circumference, flattened against the very centre of the face like a dough-ball upon the ceiling.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Perhaps that is why I hated him, for truly he had become an offense to my eyes, and I believed the earth to be cumbered with his presence.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading You know the kind, cheek-bones wide apart, chin and forehead melting into the cheeks to complete the perfect round, and the nose, broad and pudgy, equidistant from the circumference, flattened against the very centre of the face like a dough-ball upon the ceiling.
apart
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading You know the kind, cheek-bones wide apart, chin and forehead melting into the cheeks to complete the perfect round, and the nose, broad and pudgy, equidistant from the circumference, flattened against the very centre of the face like a dough-ball upon the ceiling.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Be that as it may, I hated John Claverhouse.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Perhaps my mother may have been superstitious of the moon and looked upon it over the wrong shoulder at the wrong time.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Perhaps that is why I hated him, for truly he had become an offense to my eyes, and I believed the earth to be cumbered with his presence.
become
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Perhaps that is why I hated him, for truly he had become an offense to my eyes, and I believed the earth to be cumbered with his presence.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Perhaps my mother may have been superstitious of the moon and looked upon it over the wrong shoulder at the wrong time.
believed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Perhaps that is why I hated him, for truly he had become an offense to my eyes, and I believed the earth to be cumbered with his presence.
broad
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading You know the kind, cheek-bones wide apart, chin and forehead melting into the cheeks to complete the perfect round, and the nose, broad and pudgy, equidistant from the circumference, flattened against the very centre of the face like a dough-ball upon the ceiling.
ceiling
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading You know the kind, cheek-bones wide apart, chin and forehead melting into the cheeks to complete the perfect round, and the nose, broad and pudgy, equidistant from the circumference, flattened against the very centre of the face like a dough-ball upon the ceiling.
centre
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading You know the kind, cheek-bones wide apart, chin and forehead melting into the cheeks to complete the perfect round, and the nose, broad and pudgy, equidistant from the circumference, flattened against the very centre of the face like a dough-ball upon the ceiling.
cheek-bones
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading You know the kind, cheek-bones wide apart, chin and forehead melting into the cheeks to complete the perfect round, and the nose, broad and pudgy, equidistant from the circumference, flattened against the very centre of the face like a dough-ball upon the ceiling.
cheeks
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading You know the kind, cheek-bones wide apart, chin and forehead melting into the cheeks to complete the perfect round, and the nose, broad and pudgy, equidistant from the circumference, flattened against the very centre of the face like a dough-ball upon the ceiling.
chin
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading You know the kind, cheek-bones wide apart, chin and forehead melting into the cheeks to complete the perfect round, and the nose, broad and pudgy, equidistant from the circumference, flattened against the very centre of the face like a dough-ball upon the ceiling.
circumference
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading You know the kind, cheek-bones wide apart, chin and forehead melting into the cheeks to complete the perfect round, and the nose, broad and pudgy, equidistant from the circumference, flattened against the very centre of the face like a dough-ball upon the ceiling.
Claverhouse
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading John Claverhouse was a moon-faced man.
completenounUS /complete/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading You know the kind, cheek-bones wide apart, chin and forehead melting into the cheeks to complete the perfect round, and the nose, broad and pudgy, equidistant from the circumference, flattened against the very centre of the face like a dough-ball upon the ceiling.
cumbered
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Perhaps that is why I hated him, for truly he had become an offense to my eyes, and I believed the earth to be cumbered with his presence.
dough-ball
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading You know the kind, cheek-bones wide apart, chin and forehead melting into the cheeks to complete the perfect round, and the nose, broad and pudgy, equidistant from the circumference, flattened against the very centre of the face like a dough-ball upon the ceiling.
earth
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Perhaps that is why I hated him, for truly he had become an offense to my eyes, and I believed the earth to be cumbered with his presence.
equidistant
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading You know the kind, cheek-bones wide apart, chin and forehead melting into the cheeks to complete the perfect round, and the nose, broad and pudgy, equidistant from the circumference, flattened against the very centre of the face like a dough-ball upon the ceiling.
eyes
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Perhaps that is why I hated him, for truly he had become an offense to my eyes, and I believed the earth to be cumbered with his presence.
face
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading You know the kind, cheek-bones wide apart, chin and forehead melting into the cheeks to complete the perfect round, and the nose, broad and pudgy, equidistant from the circumference, flattened against the very centre of the face like a dough-ball upon the ceiling.
flattened
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading You know the kind, cheek-bones wide apart, chin and forehead melting into the cheeks to complete the perfect round, and the nose, broad and pudgy, equidistant from the circumference, flattened against the very centre of the face like a dough-ball upon the ceiling.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Perhaps that is why I hated him, for truly he had become an offense to my eyes, and I believed the earth to be cumbered with his presence.
forehead
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading You know the kind, cheek-bones wide apart, chin and forehead melting into the cheeks to complete the perfect round, and the nose, broad and pudgy, equidistant from the circumference, flattened against the very centre of the face like a dough-ball upon the ceiling.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading You know the kind, cheek-bones wide apart, chin and forehead melting into the cheeks to complete the perfect round, and the nose, broad and pudgy, equidistant from the circumference, flattened against the very centre of the face like a dough-ball upon the ceiling.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Perhaps that is why I hated him, for truly he had become an offense to my eyes, and I believed the earth to be cumbered with his presence.
hated
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Perhaps that is why I hated him, for truly he had become an offense to my eyes, and I believed the earth to be cumbered with his presence.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Perhaps my mother may have been superstitious of the moon and looked upon it over the wrong shoulder at the wrong time.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Perhaps that is why I hated him, for truly he had become an offense to my eyes, and I believed the earth to be cumbered with his presence.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Perhaps that is why I hated him, for truly he had become an offense to my eyes, and I believed the earth to be cumbered with his presence.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Perhaps that is why I hated him, for truly he had become an offense to my eyes, and I believed the earth to be cumbered with his presence.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Perhaps that is why I hated him, for truly he had become an offense to my eyes, and I believed the earth to be cumbered with his presence.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading You know the kind, cheek-bones wide apart, chin and forehead melting into the cheeks to complete the perfect round, and the nose, broad and pudgy, equidistant from the circumference, flattened against the very centre of the face like a dough-ball upon the ceiling.
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Perhaps that is why I hated him, for truly he had become an offense to my eyes, and I believed the earth to be cumbered with his presence.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Perhaps my mother may have been superstitious of the moon and looked upon it over the wrong shoulder at the wrong time.
John
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading John Claverhouse was a moon-faced man.
kind
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading You know the kind, cheek-bones wide apart, chin and forehead melting into the cheeks to complete the perfect round, and the nose, broad and pudgy, equidistant from the circumference, flattened against the very centre of the face like a dough-ball upon the ceiling.
knownounUS /know/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading You know the kind, cheek-bones wide apart, chin and forehead melting into the cheeks to complete the perfect round, and the nose, broad and pudgy, equidistant from the circumference, flattened against the very centre of the face like a dough-ball upon the ceiling.
like
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading You know the kind, cheek-bones wide apart, chin and forehead melting into the cheeks to complete the perfect round, and the nose, broad and pudgy, equidistant from the circumference, flattened against the very centre of the face like a dough-ball upon the ceiling.
lookednounUS /looked/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Perhaps my mother may have been superstitious of the moon and looked upon it over the wrong shoulder at the wrong time.
man
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading John Claverhouse was a moon-faced man.
maymodal verbUS /meɪ/
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading Perhaps my mother may have been superstitious of the moon and looked upon it over the wrong shoulder at the wrong time.
meltingnounUS /ˈmelting/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading You know the kind, cheek-bones wide apart, chin and forehead melting into the cheeks to complete the perfect round, and the nose, broad and pudgy, equidistant from the circumference, flattened against the very centre of the face like a dough-ball upon the ceiling.
moon
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Perhaps my mother may have been superstitious of the moon and looked upon it over the wrong shoulder at the wrong time.
moon-faced
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading John Claverhouse was a moon-faced man.
mother
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Perhaps my mother may have been superstitious of the moon and looked upon it over the wrong shoulder at the wrong time.
mydeterminerUS /maɪ/
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading Perhaps that is why I hated him, for truly he had become an offense to my eyes, and I believed the earth to be cumbered with his presence.
nose
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading You know the kind, cheek-bones wide apart, chin and forehead melting into the cheeks to complete the perfect round, and the nose, broad and pudgy, equidistant from the circumference, flattened against the very centre of the face like a dough-ball upon the ceiling.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading You know the kind, cheek-bones wide apart, chin and forehead melting into the cheeks to complete the perfect round, and the nose, broad and pudgy, equidistant from the circumference, flattened against the very centre of the face like a dough-ball upon the ceiling.
offense
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Perhaps that is why I hated him, for truly he had become an offense to my eyes, and I believed the earth to be cumbered with his presence.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading Perhaps my mother may have been superstitious of the moon and looked upon it over the wrong shoulder at the wrong time.
perfect
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading You know the kind, cheek-bones wide apart, chin and forehead melting into the cheeks to complete the perfect round, and the nose, broad and pudgy, equidistant from the circumference, flattened against the very centre of the face like a dough-ball upon the ceiling.
Perhaps
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Perhaps that is why I hated him, for truly he had become an offense to my eyes, and I believed the earth to be cumbered with his presence.
presence
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Perhaps that is why I hated him, for truly he had become an offense to my eyes, and I believed the earth to be cumbered with his presence.
pudgy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading You know the kind, cheek-bones wide apart, chin and forehead melting into the cheeks to complete the perfect round, and the nose, broad and pudgy, equidistant from the circumference, flattened against the very centre of the face like a dough-ball upon the ceiling.
round
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading You know the kind, cheek-bones wide apart, chin and forehead melting into the cheeks to complete the perfect round, and the nose, broad and pudgy, equidistant from the circumference, flattened against the very centre of the face like a dough-ball upon the ceiling.
shoulder
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Perhaps my mother may have been superstitious of the moon and looked upon it over the wrong shoulder at the wrong time.
superstitious
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Perhaps my mother may have been superstitious of the moon and looked upon it over the wrong shoulder at the wrong time.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Perhaps that is why I hated him, for truly he had become an offense to my eyes, and I believed the earth to be cumbered with his presence.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading You know the kind, cheek-bones wide apart, chin and forehead melting into the cheeks to complete the perfect round, and the nose, broad and pudgy, equidistant from the circumference, flattened against the very centre of the face like a dough-ball upon the ceiling.
timenounUS /time/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Perhaps my mother may have been superstitious of the moon and looked upon it over the wrong shoulder at the wrong time.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading You know the kind, cheek-bones wide apart, chin and forehead melting into the cheeks to complete the perfect round, and the nose, broad and pudgy, equidistant from the circumference, flattened against the very centre of the face like a dough-ball upon the ceiling.
truly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Perhaps that is why I hated him, for truly he had become an offense to my eyes, and I believed the earth to be cumbered with his presence.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading You know the kind, cheek-bones wide apart, chin and forehead melting into the cheeks to complete the perfect round, and the nose, broad and pudgy, equidistant from the circumference, flattened against the very centre of the face like a dough-ball upon the ceiling.
very
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading You know the kind, cheek-bones wide apart, chin and forehead melting into the cheeks to complete the perfect round, and the nose, broad and pudgy, equidistant from the circumference, flattened against the very centre of the face like a dough-ball upon the ceiling.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading John Claverhouse was a moon-faced man.
why
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Perhaps that is why I hated him, for truly he had become an offense to my eyes, and I believed the earth to be cumbered with his presence.
wide
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading You know the kind, cheek-bones wide apart, chin and forehead melting into the cheeks to complete the perfect round, and the nose, broad and pudgy, equidistant from the circumference, flattened against the very centre of the face like a dough-ball upon the ceiling.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading Perhaps that is why I hated him, for truly he had become an offense to my eyes, and I believed the earth to be cumbered with his presence.
wrong
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Perhaps my mother may have been superstitious of the moon and looked upon it over the wrong shoulder at the wrong time.
YoupronounUS /juː/
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading You know the kind, cheek-bones wide apart, chin and forehead melting into the cheeks to complete the perfect round, and the nose, broad and pudgy, equidistant from the circumference, flattened against the very centre of the face like a dough-ball upon the ceiling.