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 The flowers in the formal gardens had all been dug up, and the carefully tended designs--so like a stitchwork pattern--had lost their mosaic of colour, leaving merely a careful drawing of brown upon green.
air
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The big reception rooms at Bowshott were swathed in brown holland and dust-sheets, pictures were covered and carpets rolled up, giving an air of desolation to the place.
all
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From this reading The flowers in the formal gardens had all been dug up, and the carefully tended designs--so like a stitchwork pattern--had lost their mosaic of colour, leaving merely a careful drawing of brown upon green.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading When Peter came back from Spain he came to an empty house.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The big reception rooms at Bowshott were swathed in brown holland and dust-sheets, pictures were covered and carpets rolled up, giving an air of desolation to the place.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The big reception rooms at Bowshott were swathed in brown holland and dust-sheets, pictures were covered and carpets rolled up, giving an air of desolation to the place.
back
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From this reading When Peter came back from Spain he came to an empty house.
banks
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From this reading The banks of flowering exotics, which his mother had loved to have in her drawing-rooms, had been removed to the greenhouses and conservatories.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading The flowers in the formal gardens had all been dug up, and the carefully tended designs--so like a stitchwork pattern--had lost their mosaic of colour, leaving merely a careful drawing of brown upon green.
big
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From this reading The big reception rooms at Bowshott were swathed in brown holland and dust-sheets, pictures were covered and carpets rolled up, giving an air of desolation to the place.
boots
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From this reading The sight of the gardeners mowing, for the last time in the season, the hundred-year-old turf of the lawn conveyed a suggestion of regret with it; the old pony harnessed to the mowing machine stepped sedately and quietly in his boots on the close, fine grass.
Bowshott
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From this reading The big reception rooms at Bowshott were swathed in brown holland and dust-sheets, pictures were covered and carpets rolled up, giving an air of desolation to the place.
brown
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From this reading The big reception rooms at Bowshott were swathed in brown holland and dust-sheets, pictures were covered and carpets rolled up, giving an air of desolation to the place.
came
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From this reading When Peter came back from Spain he came to an empty house.
careful
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From this reading The flowers in the formal gardens had all been dug up, and the carefully tended designs--so like a stitchwork pattern--had lost their mosaic of colour, leaving merely a careful drawing of brown upon green.
carefully
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From this reading The flowers in the formal gardens had all been dug up, and the carefully tended designs--so like a stitchwork pattern--had lost their mosaic of colour, leaving merely a careful drawing of brown upon green.
carpets
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From this reading The big reception rooms at Bowshott were swathed in brown holland and dust-sheets, pictures were covered and carpets rolled up, giving an air of desolation to the place.
close
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sight of the gardeners mowing, for the last time in the season, the hundred-year-old turf of the lawn conveyed a suggestion of regret with it; the old pony harnessed to the mowing machine stepped sedately and quietly in his boots on the close, fine grass.
colour
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From this reading The flowers in the formal gardens had all been dug up, and the carefully tended designs--so like a stitchwork pattern--had lost their mosaic of colour, leaving merely a careful drawing of brown upon green.
conservatories
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The banks of flowering exotics, which his mother had loved to have in her drawing-rooms, had been removed to the greenhouses and conservatories.
conveyed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sight of the gardeners mowing, for the last time in the season, the hundred-year-old turf of the lawn conveyed a suggestion of regret with it; the old pony harnessed to the mowing machine stepped sedately and quietly in his boots on the close, fine grass.
covered
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The big reception rooms at Bowshott were swathed in brown holland and dust-sheets, pictures were covered and carpets rolled up, giving an air of desolation to the place.
designs
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The flowers in the formal gardens had all been dug up, and the carefully tended designs--so like a stitchwork pattern--had lost their mosaic of colour, leaving merely a careful drawing of brown upon green.
desolation
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From this reading The big reception rooms at Bowshott were swathed in brown holland and dust-sheets, pictures were covered and carpets rolled up, giving an air of desolation to the place.
drawing
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From this reading The flowers in the formal gardens had all been dug up, and the carefully tended designs--so like a stitchwork pattern--had lost their mosaic of colour, leaving merely a careful drawing of brown upon green.
drawing-rooms
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The banks of flowering exotics, which his mother had loved to have in her drawing-rooms, had been removed to the greenhouses and conservatories.
dug
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From this reading The flowers in the formal gardens had all been dug up, and the carefully tended designs--so like a stitchwork pattern--had lost their mosaic of colour, leaving merely a careful drawing of brown upon green.
dust-sheets
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The big reception rooms at Bowshott were swathed in brown holland and dust-sheets, pictures were covered and carpets rolled up, giving an air of desolation to the place.
empty
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When Peter came back from Spain he came to an empty house.
exotics
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The banks of flowering exotics, which his mother had loved to have in her drawing-rooms, had been removed to the greenhouses and conservatories.
finenounUS /fine/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The sight of the gardeners mowing, for the last time in the season, the hundred-year-old turf of the lawn conveyed a suggestion of regret with it; the old pony harnessed to the mowing machine stepped sedately and quietly in his boots on the close, fine grass.
flowering
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The banks of flowering exotics, which his mother had loved to have in her drawing-rooms, had been removed to the greenhouses and conservatories.
flowers
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The flowers in the formal gardens had all been dug up, and the carefully tended designs--so like a stitchwork pattern--had lost their mosaic of colour, leaving merely a careful drawing of brown upon green.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The sight of the gardeners mowing, for the last time in the season, the hundred-year-old turf of the lawn conveyed a suggestion of regret with it; the old pony harnessed to the mowing machine stepped sedately and quietly in his boots on the close, fine grass.
formal
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The flowers in the formal gardens had all been dug up, and the carefully tended designs--so like a stitchwork pattern--had lost their mosaic of colour, leaving merely a careful drawing of brown upon green.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading When Peter came back from Spain he came to an empty house.
gardeners
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sight of the gardeners mowing, for the last time in the season, the hundred-year-old turf of the lawn conveyed a suggestion of regret with it; the old pony harnessed to the mowing machine stepped sedately and quietly in his boots on the close, fine grass.
gardens
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The flowers in the formal gardens had all been dug up, and the carefully tended designs--so like a stitchwork pattern--had lost their mosaic of colour, leaving merely a careful drawing of brown upon green.
giving
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The big reception rooms at Bowshott were swathed in brown holland and dust-sheets, pictures were covered and carpets rolled up, giving an air of desolation to the place.
grass
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sight of the gardeners mowing, for the last time in the season, the hundred-year-old turf of the lawn conveyed a suggestion of regret with it; the old pony harnessed to the mowing machine stepped sedately and quietly in his boots on the close, fine grass.
green
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The flowers in the formal gardens had all been dug up, and the carefully tended designs--so like a stitchwork pattern--had lost their mosaic of colour, leaving merely a careful drawing of brown upon green.
greenhouses
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The banks of flowering exotics, which his mother had loved to have in her drawing-rooms, had been removed to the greenhouses and conservatories.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The flowers in the formal gardens had all been dug up, and the carefully tended designs--so like a stitchwork pattern--had lost their mosaic of colour, leaving merely a careful drawing of brown upon green.
harnessed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sight of the gardeners mowing, for the last time in the season, the hundred-year-old turf of the lawn conveyed a suggestion of regret with it; the old pony harnessed to the mowing machine stepped sedately and quietly in his boots on the close, fine grass.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading The banks of flowering exotics, which his mother had loved to have in her drawing-rooms, had been removed to the greenhouses and conservatories.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading When Peter came back from Spain he came to an empty house.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading The banks of flowering exotics, which his mother had loved to have in her drawing-rooms, had been removed to the greenhouses and conservatories.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The banks of flowering exotics, which his mother had loved to have in her drawing-rooms, had been removed to the greenhouses and conservatories.
holland
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The big reception rooms at Bowshott were swathed in brown holland and dust-sheets, pictures were covered and carpets rolled up, giving an air of desolation to the place.
house
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When Peter came back from Spain he came to an empty house.
hundred-year-old
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sight of the gardeners mowing, for the last time in the season, the hundred-year-old turf of the lawn conveyed a suggestion of regret with it; the old pony harnessed to the mowing machine stepped sedately and quietly in his boots on the close, fine grass.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The big reception rooms at Bowshott were swathed in brown holland and dust-sheets, pictures were covered and carpets rolled up, giving an air of desolation to the place.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The sight of the gardeners mowing, for the last time in the season, the hundred-year-old turf of the lawn conveyed a suggestion of regret with it; the old pony harnessed to the mowing machine stepped sedately and quietly in his boots on the close, fine grass.
lastnounUS /last/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The sight of the gardeners mowing, for the last time in the season, the hundred-year-old turf of the lawn conveyed a suggestion of regret with it; the old pony harnessed to the mowing machine stepped sedately and quietly in his boots on the close, fine grass.
lawn
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sight of the gardeners mowing, for the last time in the season, the hundred-year-old turf of the lawn conveyed a suggestion of regret with it; the old pony harnessed to the mowing machine stepped sedately and quietly in his boots on the close, fine grass.
leaving
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The flowers in the formal gardens had all been dug up, and the carefully tended designs--so like a stitchwork pattern--had lost their mosaic of colour, leaving merely a careful drawing of brown upon green.
like
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The flowers in the formal gardens had all been dug up, and the carefully tended designs--so like a stitchwork pattern--had lost their mosaic of colour, leaving merely a careful drawing of brown upon green.
lost
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The flowers in the formal gardens had all been dug up, and the carefully tended designs--so like a stitchwork pattern--had lost their mosaic of colour, leaving merely a careful drawing of brown upon green.
loved
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The banks of flowering exotics, which his mother had loved to have in her drawing-rooms, had been removed to the greenhouses and conservatories.
machine
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sight of the gardeners mowing, for the last time in the season, the hundred-year-old turf of the lawn conveyed a suggestion of regret with it; the old pony harnessed to the mowing machine stepped sedately and quietly in his boots on the close, fine grass.
merely
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The flowers in the formal gardens had all been dug up, and the carefully tended designs--so like a stitchwork pattern--had lost their mosaic of colour, leaving merely a careful drawing of brown upon green.
mosaic
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The flowers in the formal gardens had all been dug up, and the carefully tended designs--so like a stitchwork pattern--had lost their mosaic of colour, leaving merely a careful drawing of brown upon green.
mother
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The banks of flowering exotics, which his mother had loved to have in her drawing-rooms, had been removed to the greenhouses and conservatories.
mowing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sight of the gardeners mowing, for the last time in the season, the hundred-year-old turf of the lawn conveyed a suggestion of regret with it; the old pony harnessed to the mowing machine stepped sedately and quietly in his boots on the close, fine grass.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The big reception rooms at Bowshott were swathed in brown holland and dust-sheets, pictures were covered and carpets rolled up, giving an air of desolation to the place.
old
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sight of the gardeners mowing, for the last time in the season, the hundred-year-old turf of the lawn conveyed a suggestion of regret with it; the old pony harnessed to the mowing machine stepped sedately and quietly in his boots on the close, fine grass.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The sight of the gardeners mowing, for the last time in the season, the hundred-year-old turf of the lawn conveyed a suggestion of regret with it; the old pony harnessed to the mowing machine stepped sedately and quietly in his boots on the close, fine grass.
pattern
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The flowers in the formal gardens had all been dug up, and the carefully tended designs--so like a stitchwork pattern--had lost their mosaic of colour, leaving merely a careful drawing of brown upon green.
Peter
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When Peter came back from Spain he came to an empty house.
pictures
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The big reception rooms at Bowshott were swathed in brown holland and dust-sheets, pictures were covered and carpets rolled up, giving an air of desolation to the place.
place
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The big reception rooms at Bowshott were swathed in brown holland and dust-sheets, pictures were covered and carpets rolled up, giving an air of desolation to the place.
pony
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sight of the gardeners mowing, for the last time in the season, the hundred-year-old turf of the lawn conveyed a suggestion of regret with it; the old pony harnessed to the mowing machine stepped sedately and quietly in his boots on the close, fine grass.
quietly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sight of the gardeners mowing, for the last time in the season, the hundred-year-old turf of the lawn conveyed a suggestion of regret with it; the old pony harnessed to the mowing machine stepped sedately and quietly in his boots on the close, fine grass.
reception
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The big reception rooms at Bowshott were swathed in brown holland and dust-sheets, pictures were covered and carpets rolled up, giving an air of desolation to the place.
regret
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sight of the gardeners mowing, for the last time in the season, the hundred-year-old turf of the lawn conveyed a suggestion of regret with it; the old pony harnessed to the mowing machine stepped sedately and quietly in his boots on the close, fine grass.
removed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The banks of flowering exotics, which his mother had loved to have in her drawing-rooms, had been removed to the greenhouses and conservatories.
rolled
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The big reception rooms at Bowshott were swathed in brown holland and dust-sheets, pictures were covered and carpets rolled up, giving an air of desolation to the place.
rooms
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The big reception rooms at Bowshott were swathed in brown holland and dust-sheets, pictures were covered and carpets rolled up, giving an air of desolation to the place.
season
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sight of the gardeners mowing, for the last time in the season, the hundred-year-old turf of the lawn conveyed a suggestion of regret with it; the old pony harnessed to the mowing machine stepped sedately and quietly in his boots on the close, fine grass.
sedately
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sight of the gardeners mowing, for the last time in the season, the hundred-year-old turf of the lawn conveyed a suggestion of regret with it; the old pony harnessed to the mowing machine stepped sedately and quietly in his boots on the close, fine grass.
sight
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sight of the gardeners mowing, for the last time in the season, the hundred-year-old turf of the lawn conveyed a suggestion of regret with it; the old pony harnessed to the mowing machine stepped sedately and quietly in his boots on the close, fine grass.
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading The flowers in the formal gardens had all been dug up, and the carefully tended designs--so like a stitchwork pattern--had lost their mosaic of colour, leaving merely a careful drawing of brown upon green.
Spain
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When Peter came back from Spain he came to an empty house.
stepped
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sight of the gardeners mowing, for the last time in the season, the hundred-year-old turf of the lawn conveyed a suggestion of regret with it; the old pony harnessed to the mowing machine stepped sedately and quietly in his boots on the close, fine grass.
stitchwork
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The flowers in the formal gardens had all been dug up, and the carefully tended designs--so like a stitchwork pattern--had lost their mosaic of colour, leaving merely a careful drawing of brown upon green.
suggestion
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sight of the gardeners mowing, for the last time in the season, the hundred-year-old turf of the lawn conveyed a suggestion of regret with it; the old pony harnessed to the mowing machine stepped sedately and quietly in his boots on the close, fine grass.
swathed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The big reception rooms at Bowshott were swathed in brown holland and dust-sheets, pictures were covered and carpets rolled up, giving an air of desolation to the place.
tended
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The flowers in the formal gardens had all been dug up, and the carefully tended designs--so like a stitchwork pattern--had lost their mosaic of colour, leaving merely a careful drawing of brown upon green.
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The big reception rooms at Bowshott were swathed in brown holland and dust-sheets, pictures were covered and carpets rolled up, giving an air of desolation to the place.
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading The flowers in the formal gardens had all been dug up, and the carefully tended designs--so like a stitchwork pattern--had lost their mosaic of colour, leaving merely a careful drawing of brown upon green.
timenounUS /time/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The sight of the gardeners mowing, for the last time in the season, the hundred-year-old turf of the lawn conveyed a suggestion of regret with it; the old pony harnessed to the mowing machine stepped sedately and quietly in his boots on the close, fine grass.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading When Peter came back from Spain he came to an empty house.
turf
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sight of the gardeners mowing, for the last time in the season, the hundred-year-old turf of the lawn conveyed a suggestion of regret with it; the old pony harnessed to the mowing machine stepped sedately and quietly in his boots on the close, fine grass.
up
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The big reception rooms at Bowshott were swathed in brown holland and dust-sheets, pictures were covered and carpets rolled up, giving an air of desolation to the place.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading The flowers in the formal gardens had all been dug up, and the carefully tended designs--so like a stitchwork pattern--had lost their mosaic of colour, leaving merely a careful drawing of brown upon green.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The big reception rooms at Bowshott were swathed in brown holland and dust-sheets, pictures were covered and carpets rolled up, giving an air of desolation to the place.
WhenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading When Peter came back from Spain he came to an empty house.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The banks of flowering exotics, which his mother had loved to have in her drawing-rooms, had been removed to the greenhouses and conservatories.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading The sight of the gardeners mowing, for the last time in the season, the hundred-year-old turf of the lawn conveyed a suggestion of regret with it; the old pony harnessed to the mowing machine stepped sedately and quietly in his boots on the close, fine grass.
