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AdeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A Secret Service This house also was on the river, but it was very small bricks-and-mortar compared with the other two.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading There was indeed something oppressively and yet prettily Victorian about the riparian retreat to which Lady Laura Belsize had retired in her impoverished widowhood.
almost
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was not for Lady Laura that I asked, however, but for Miss Belsize, and the almost slatternly maid really couldn't say whether Miss Belsize was in or whether she wasn't.
also
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A Secret Service This house also was on the river, but it was very small bricks-and-mortar compared with the other two.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading The wooden gate had not swung home behind me before I was at the top of a somewhat dirty flight of steps, contemplating blistered paint and ground glass fit for a bathroom window, and listening to the last reverberations of an obsolete type of bell.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading One of a semi-detached couple built close to the road, with narrow strips of garden to the river's brim, its dingy stucco front and its green Venetian blinds conveyed no conceivable attraction beyond that of a situation more likely to prove a drawback three seasons out of the four.
askednounUS /asked/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading It was not for Lady Laura that I asked, however, but for Miss Belsize, and the almost slatternly maid really couldn't say whether Miss Belsize was in or whether she wasn't.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The wooden gate had not swung home behind me before I was at the top of a somewhat dirty flight of steps, contemplating blistered paint and ground glass fit for a bathroom window, and listening to the last reverberations of an obsolete type of bell.
attraction
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One of a semi-detached couple built close to the road, with narrow strips of garden to the river's brim, its dingy stucco front and its green Venetian blinds conveyed no conceivable attraction beyond that of a situation more likely to prove a drawback three seasons out of the four.
bathroom
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From this reading The wooden gate had not swung home behind me before I was at the top of a somewhat dirty flight of steps, contemplating blistered paint and ground glass fit for a bathroom window, and listening to the last reverberations of an obsolete type of bell.
beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/
earlier than; in front of
From this reading The wooden gate had not swung home behind me before I was at the top of a somewhat dirty flight of steps, contemplating blistered paint and ground glass fit for a bathroom window, and listening to the last reverberations of an obsolete type of bell.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading The wooden gate had not swung home behind me before I was at the top of a somewhat dirty flight of steps, contemplating blistered paint and ground glass fit for a bathroom window, and listening to the last reverberations of an obsolete type of bell.
bell
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From this reading The wooden gate had not swung home behind me before I was at the top of a somewhat dirty flight of steps, contemplating blistered paint and ground glass fit for a bathroom window, and listening to the last reverberations of an obsolete type of bell.
Belsize
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was indeed something oppressively and yet prettily Victorian about the riparian retreat to which Lady Laura Belsize had retired in her impoverished widowhood.
beyondprepositionUS /bɪˈɑːnd/
on the far side of; further than
From this reading One of a semi-detached couple built close to the road, with narrow strips of garden to the river's brim, its dingy stucco front and its green Venetian blinds conveyed no conceivable attraction beyond that of a situation more likely to prove a drawback three seasons out of the four.
blinds
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One of a semi-detached couple built close to the road, with narrow strips of garden to the river's brim, its dingy stucco front and its green Venetian blinds conveyed no conceivable attraction beyond that of a situation more likely to prove a drawback three seasons out of the four.
blistered
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From this reading The wooden gate had not swung home behind me before I was at the top of a somewhat dirty flight of steps, contemplating blistered paint and ground glass fit for a bathroom window, and listening to the last reverberations of an obsolete type of bell.
bricks-and-mortar
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A Secret Service This house also was on the river, but it was very small bricks-and-mortar compared with the other two.
brim
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One of a semi-detached couple built close to the road, with narrow strips of garden to the river's brim, its dingy stucco front and its green Venetian blinds conveyed no conceivable attraction beyond that of a situation more likely to prove a drawback three seasons out of the four.
built
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One of a semi-detached couple built close to the road, with narrow strips of garden to the river's brim, its dingy stucco front and its green Venetian blinds conveyed no conceivable attraction beyond that of a situation more likely to prove a drawback three seasons out of the four.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading A Secret Service This house also was on the river, but it was very small bricks-and-mortar compared with the other two.
close
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One of a semi-detached couple built close to the road, with narrow strips of garden to the river's brim, its dingy stucco front and its green Venetian blinds conveyed no conceivable attraction beyond that of a situation more likely to prove a drawback three seasons out of the four.
compared
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A Secret Service This house also was on the river, but it was very small bricks-and-mortar compared with the other two.
conceivable
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One of a semi-detached couple built close to the road, with narrow strips of garden to the river's brim, its dingy stucco front and its green Venetian blinds conveyed no conceivable attraction beyond that of a situation more likely to prove a drawback three seasons out of the four.
contemplating
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The wooden gate had not swung home behind me before I was at the top of a somewhat dirty flight of steps, contemplating blistered paint and ground glass fit for a bathroom window, and listening to the last reverberations of an obsolete type of bell.
conveyed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One of a semi-detached couple built close to the road, with narrow strips of garden to the river's brim, its dingy stucco front and its green Venetian blinds conveyed no conceivable attraction beyond that of a situation more likely to prove a drawback three seasons out of the four.
couldn't
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From this reading It was not for Lady Laura that I asked, however, but for Miss Belsize, and the almost slatternly maid really couldn't say whether Miss Belsize was in or whether she wasn't.
couplenounUS /ˈkʌpəl/
two people or things considered together
From this reading One of a semi-detached couple built close to the road, with narrow strips of garden to the river's brim, its dingy stucco front and its green Venetian blinds conveyed no conceivable attraction beyond that of a situation more likely to prove a drawback three seasons out of the four.
dingy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One of a semi-detached couple built close to the road, with narrow strips of garden to the river's brim, its dingy stucco front and its green Venetian blinds conveyed no conceivable attraction beyond that of a situation more likely to prove a drawback three seasons out of the four.
dirty
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The wooden gate had not swung home behind me before I was at the top of a somewhat dirty flight of steps, contemplating blistered paint and ground glass fit for a bathroom window, and listening to the last reverberations of an obsolete type of bell.
drawback
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One of a semi-detached couple built close to the road, with narrow strips of garden to the river's brim, its dingy stucco front and its green Venetian blinds conveyed no conceivable attraction beyond that of a situation more likely to prove a drawback three seasons out of the four.
fit
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From this reading The wooden gate had not swung home behind me before I was at the top of a somewhat dirty flight of steps, contemplating blistered paint and ground glass fit for a bathroom window, and listening to the last reverberations of an obsolete type of bell.
flight
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The wooden gate had not swung home behind me before I was at the top of a somewhat dirty flight of steps, contemplating blistered paint and ground glass fit for a bathroom window, and listening to the last reverberations of an obsolete type of bell.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The wooden gate had not swung home behind me before I was at the top of a somewhat dirty flight of steps, contemplating blistered paint and ground glass fit for a bathroom window, and listening to the last reverberations of an obsolete type of bell.
four
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One of a semi-detached couple built close to the road, with narrow strips of garden to the river's brim, its dingy stucco front and its green Venetian blinds conveyed no conceivable attraction beyond that of a situation more likely to prove a drawback three seasons out of the four.
front
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One of a semi-detached couple built close to the road, with narrow strips of garden to the river's brim, its dingy stucco front and its green Venetian blinds conveyed no conceivable attraction beyond that of a situation more likely to prove a drawback three seasons out of the four.
garden
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One of a semi-detached couple built close to the road, with narrow strips of garden to the river's brim, its dingy stucco front and its green Venetian blinds conveyed no conceivable attraction beyond that of a situation more likely to prove a drawback three seasons out of the four.
gate
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The wooden gate had not swung home behind me before I was at the top of a somewhat dirty flight of steps, contemplating blistered paint and ground glass fit for a bathroom window, and listening to the last reverberations of an obsolete type of bell.
glass
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The wooden gate had not swung home behind me before I was at the top of a somewhat dirty flight of steps, contemplating blistered paint and ground glass fit for a bathroom window, and listening to the last reverberations of an obsolete type of bell.
green
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One of a semi-detached couple built close to the road, with narrow strips of garden to the river's brim, its dingy stucco front and its green Venetian blinds conveyed no conceivable attraction beyond that of a situation more likely to prove a drawback three seasons out of the four.
ground
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The wooden gate had not swung home behind me before I was at the top of a somewhat dirty flight of steps, contemplating blistered paint and ground glass fit for a bathroom window, and listening to the last reverberations of an obsolete type of bell.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The wooden gate had not swung home behind me before I was at the top of a somewhat dirty flight of steps, contemplating blistered paint and ground glass fit for a bathroom window, and listening to the last reverberations of an obsolete type of bell.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading There was indeed something oppressively and yet prettily Victorian about the riparian retreat to which Lady Laura Belsize had retired in her impoverished widowhood.
home
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The wooden gate had not swung home behind me before I was at the top of a somewhat dirty flight of steps, contemplating blistered paint and ground glass fit for a bathroom window, and listening to the last reverberations of an obsolete type of bell.
house
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A Secret Service This house also was on the river, but it was very small bricks-and-mortar compared with the other two.
howeveradverbUS /ˌhaʊˈevər/
used to add a contrasting statement
From this reading It was not for Lady Laura that I asked, however, but for Miss Belsize, and the almost slatternly maid really couldn't say whether Miss Belsize was in or whether she wasn't.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading The wooden gate had not swung home behind me before I was at the top of a somewhat dirty flight of steps, contemplating blistered paint and ground glass fit for a bathroom window, and listening to the last reverberations of an obsolete type of bell.
impoverishedadjectiveUS /ɪmˈpɒv.ər.ɪʃt/
Reduced to poverty; having very little money or resources.
From this reading There was indeed something oppressively and yet prettily Victorian about the riparian retreat to which Lady Laura Belsize had retired in her impoverished widowhood.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading There was indeed something oppressively and yet prettily Victorian about the riparian retreat to which Lady Laura Belsize had retired in her impoverished widowhood.
indeed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was indeed something oppressively and yet prettily Victorian about the riparian retreat to which Lady Laura Belsize had retired in her impoverished widowhood.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading A Secret Service This house also was on the river, but it was very small bricks-and-mortar compared with the other two.
itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading One of a semi-detached couple built close to the road, with narrow strips of garden to the river's brim, its dingy stucco front and its green Venetian blinds conveyed no conceivable attraction beyond that of a situation more likely to prove a drawback three seasons out of the four.
Lady
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was indeed something oppressively and yet prettily Victorian about the riparian retreat to which Lady Laura Belsize had retired in her impoverished widowhood.
lastnounUS /last/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The wooden gate had not swung home behind me before I was at the top of a somewhat dirty flight of steps, contemplating blistered paint and ground glass fit for a bathroom window, and listening to the last reverberations of an obsolete type of bell.
Laura
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was indeed something oppressively and yet prettily Victorian about the riparian retreat to which Lady Laura Belsize had retired in her impoverished widowhood.
likely
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One of a semi-detached couple built close to the road, with narrow strips of garden to the river's brim, its dingy stucco front and its green Venetian blinds conveyed no conceivable attraction beyond that of a situation more likely to prove a drawback three seasons out of the four.
listening
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The wooden gate had not swung home behind me before I was at the top of a somewhat dirty flight of steps, contemplating blistered paint and ground glass fit for a bathroom window, and listening to the last reverberations of an obsolete type of bell.
maid
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was not for Lady Laura that I asked, however, but for Miss Belsize, and the almost slatternly maid really couldn't say whether Miss Belsize was in or whether she wasn't.
mepronounUS /miː/
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The wooden gate had not swung home behind me before I was at the top of a somewhat dirty flight of steps, contemplating blistered paint and ground glass fit for a bathroom window, and listening to the last reverberations of an obsolete type of bell.
Miss
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was not for Lady Laura that I asked, however, but for Miss Belsize, and the almost slatternly maid really couldn't say whether Miss Belsize was in or whether she wasn't.
more
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One of a semi-detached couple built close to the road, with narrow strips of garden to the river's brim, its dingy stucco front and its green Venetian blinds conveyed no conceivable attraction beyond that of a situation more likely to prove a drawback three seasons out of the four.
narrow
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One of a semi-detached couple built close to the road, with narrow strips of garden to the river's brim, its dingy stucco front and its green Venetian blinds conveyed no conceivable attraction beyond that of a situation more likely to prove a drawback three seasons out of the four.
nodeterminerUS /noʊ/
not any; not one
From this reading One of a semi-detached couple built close to the road, with narrow strips of garden to the river's brim, its dingy stucco front and its green Venetian blinds conveyed no conceivable attraction beyond that of a situation more likely to prove a drawback three seasons out of the four.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The wooden gate had not swung home behind me before I was at the top of a somewhat dirty flight of steps, contemplating blistered paint and ground glass fit for a bathroom window, and listening to the last reverberations of an obsolete type of bell.
obsolete
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The wooden gate had not swung home behind me before I was at the top of a somewhat dirty flight of steps, contemplating blistered paint and ground glass fit for a bathroom window, and listening to the last reverberations of an obsolete type of bell.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading One of a semi-detached couple built close to the road, with narrow strips of garden to the river's brim, its dingy stucco front and its green Venetian blinds conveyed no conceivable attraction beyond that of a situation more likely to prove a drawback three seasons out of the four.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading A Secret Service This house also was on the river, but it was very small bricks-and-mortar compared with the other two.
OnepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading One of a semi-detached couple built close to the road, with narrow strips of garden to the river's brim, its dingy stucco front and its green Venetian blinds conveyed no conceivable attraction beyond that of a situation more likely to prove a drawback three seasons out of the four.
oppressively
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was indeed something oppressively and yet prettily Victorian about the riparian retreat to which Lady Laura Belsize had retired in her impoverished widowhood.
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading It was not for Lady Laura that I asked, however, but for Miss Belsize, and the almost slatternly maid really couldn't say whether Miss Belsize was in or whether she wasn't.
other
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A Secret Service This house also was on the river, but it was very small bricks-and-mortar compared with the other two.
out
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One of a semi-detached couple built close to the road, with narrow strips of garden to the river's brim, its dingy stucco front and its green Venetian blinds conveyed no conceivable attraction beyond that of a situation more likely to prove a drawback three seasons out of the four.
paint
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The wooden gate had not swung home behind me before I was at the top of a somewhat dirty flight of steps, contemplating blistered paint and ground glass fit for a bathroom window, and listening to the last reverberations of an obsolete type of bell.
prettily
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was indeed something oppressively and yet prettily Victorian about the riparian retreat to which Lady Laura Belsize had retired in her impoverished widowhood.
prove
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One of a semi-detached couple built close to the road, with narrow strips of garden to the river's brim, its dingy stucco front and its green Venetian blinds conveyed no conceivable attraction beyond that of a situation more likely to prove a drawback three seasons out of the four.
really
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was not for Lady Laura that I asked, however, but for Miss Belsize, and the almost slatternly maid really couldn't say whether Miss Belsize was in or whether she wasn't.
retiredverbUS /rɪˈtaɪərd/
went away to a private place
From this reading There was indeed something oppressively and yet prettily Victorian about the riparian retreat to which Lady Laura Belsize had retired in her impoverished widowhood.
retreat
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was indeed something oppressively and yet prettily Victorian about the riparian retreat to which Lady Laura Belsize had retired in her impoverished widowhood.
reverberations
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From this reading The wooden gate had not swung home behind me before I was at the top of a somewhat dirty flight of steps, contemplating blistered paint and ground glass fit for a bathroom window, and listening to the last reverberations of an obsolete type of bell.
riparian
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was indeed something oppressively and yet prettily Victorian about the riparian retreat to which Lady Laura Belsize had retired in her impoverished widowhood.
river
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A Secret Service This house also was on the river, but it was very small bricks-and-mortar compared with the other two.
river's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One of a semi-detached couple built close to the road, with narrow strips of garden to the river's brim, its dingy stucco front and its green Venetian blinds conveyed no conceivable attraction beyond that of a situation more likely to prove a drawback three seasons out of the four.
road
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One of a semi-detached couple built close to the road, with narrow strips of garden to the river's brim, its dingy stucco front and its green Venetian blinds conveyed no conceivable attraction beyond that of a situation more likely to prove a drawback three seasons out of the four.
say
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was not for Lady Laura that I asked, however, but for Miss Belsize, and the almost slatternly maid really couldn't say whether Miss Belsize was in or whether she wasn't.
seasons
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One of a semi-detached couple built close to the road, with narrow strips of garden to the river's brim, its dingy stucco front and its green Venetian blinds conveyed no conceivable attraction beyond that of a situation more likely to prove a drawback three seasons out of the four.
SecretnounUS /ˈsiː.krət/
Something that is kept or meant to be kept unknown or unseen by others.
From this reading A Secret Service This house also was on the river, but it was very small bricks-and-mortar compared with the other two.
semi-detached
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One of a semi-detached couple built close to the road, with narrow strips of garden to the river's brim, its dingy stucco front and its green Venetian blinds conveyed no conceivable attraction beyond that of a situation more likely to prove a drawback three seasons out of the four.
Service
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A Secret Service This house also was on the river, but it was very small bricks-and-mortar compared with the other two.
shepronounUS /ʃiː/
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading It was not for Lady Laura that I asked, however, but for Miss Belsize, and the almost slatternly maid really couldn't say whether Miss Belsize was in or whether she wasn't.
situation
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One of a semi-detached couple built close to the road, with narrow strips of garden to the river's brim, its dingy stucco front and its green Venetian blinds conveyed no conceivable attraction beyond that of a situation more likely to prove a drawback three seasons out of the four.
slatternly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was not for Lady Laura that I asked, however, but for Miss Belsize, and the almost slatternly maid really couldn't say whether Miss Belsize was in or whether she wasn't.
small
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A Secret Service This house also was on the river, but it was very small bricks-and-mortar compared with the other two.
somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/
a thing, without saying which
From this reading There was indeed something oppressively and yet prettily Victorian about the riparian retreat to which Lady Laura Belsize had retired in her impoverished widowhood.
somewhat
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The wooden gate had not swung home behind me before I was at the top of a somewhat dirty flight of steps, contemplating blistered paint and ground glass fit for a bathroom window, and listening to the last reverberations of an obsolete type of bell.
steps
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The wooden gate had not swung home behind me before I was at the top of a somewhat dirty flight of steps, contemplating blistered paint and ground glass fit for a bathroom window, and listening to the last reverberations of an obsolete type of bell.
strips
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One of a semi-detached couple built close to the road, with narrow strips of garden to the river's brim, its dingy stucco front and its green Venetian blinds conveyed no conceivable attraction beyond that of a situation more likely to prove a drawback three seasons out of the four.
stucco
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One of a semi-detached couple built close to the road, with narrow strips of garden to the river's brim, its dingy stucco front and its green Venetian blinds conveyed no conceivable attraction beyond that of a situation more likely to prove a drawback three seasons out of the four.
swung
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The wooden gate had not swung home behind me before I was at the top of a somewhat dirty flight of steps, contemplating blistered paint and ground glass fit for a bathroom window, and listening to the last reverberations of an obsolete type of bell.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading One of a semi-detached couple built close to the road, with narrow strips of garden to the river's brim, its dingy stucco front and its green Venetian blinds conveyed no conceivable attraction beyond that of a situation more likely to prove a drawback three seasons out of the four.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A Secret Service This house also was on the river, but it was very small bricks-and-mortar compared with the other two.
There
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was indeed something oppressively and yet prettily Victorian about the riparian retreat to which Lady Laura Belsize had retired in her impoverished widowhood.
ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading A Secret Service This house also was on the river, but it was very small bricks-and-mortar compared with the other two.
three
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One of a semi-detached couple built close to the road, with narrow strips of garden to the river's brim, its dingy stucco front and its green Venetian blinds conveyed no conceivable attraction beyond that of a situation more likely to prove a drawback three seasons out of the four.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading One of a semi-detached couple built close to the road, with narrow strips of garden to the river's brim, its dingy stucco front and its green Venetian blinds conveyed no conceivable attraction beyond that of a situation more likely to prove a drawback three seasons out of the four.
top
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The wooden gate had not swung home behind me before I was at the top of a somewhat dirty flight of steps, contemplating blistered paint and ground glass fit for a bathroom window, and listening to the last reverberations of an obsolete type of bell.
two
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A Secret Service This house also was on the river, but it was very small bricks-and-mortar compared with the other two.
type
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The wooden gate had not swung home behind me before I was at the top of a somewhat dirty flight of steps, contemplating blistered paint and ground glass fit for a bathroom window, and listening to the last reverberations of an obsolete type of bell.
Venetian
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One of a semi-detached couple built close to the road, with narrow strips of garden to the river's brim, its dingy stucco front and its green Venetian blinds conveyed no conceivable attraction beyond that of a situation more likely to prove a drawback three seasons out of the four.
very
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A Secret Service This house also was on the river, but it was very small bricks-and-mortar compared with the other two.
Victorian
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was indeed something oppressively and yet prettily Victorian about the riparian retreat to which Lady Laura Belsize had retired in her impoverished widowhood.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading A Secret Service This house also was on the river, but it was very small bricks-and-mortar compared with the other two.
wasn't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was not for Lady Laura that I asked, however, but for Miss Belsize, and the almost slatternly maid really couldn't say whether Miss Belsize was in or whether she wasn't.
whetherconjunctionUS /ˈweðər/
used to introduce two or more possibilities
From this reading It was not for Lady Laura that I asked, however, but for Miss Belsize, and the almost slatternly maid really couldn't say whether Miss Belsize was in or whether she wasn't.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading There was indeed something oppressively and yet prettily Victorian about the riparian retreat to which Lady Laura Belsize had retired in her impoverished widowhood.
widowhood
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was indeed something oppressively and yet prettily Victorian about the riparian retreat to which Lady Laura Belsize had retired in her impoverished widowhood.
window
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The wooden gate had not swung home behind me before I was at the top of a somewhat dirty flight of steps, contemplating blistered paint and ground glass fit for a bathroom window, and listening to the last reverberations of an obsolete type of bell.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading A Secret Service This house also was on the river, but it was very small bricks-and-mortar compared with the other two.
wooden
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The wooden gate had not swung home behind me before I was at the top of a somewhat dirty flight of steps, contemplating blistered paint and ground glass fit for a bathroom window, and listening to the last reverberations of an obsolete type of bell.
yetconjunctionUS /jet/
but in spite of that
From this reading There was indeed something oppressively and yet prettily Victorian about the riparian retreat to which Lady Laura Belsize had retired in her impoverished widowhood.
