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 Sabbath-school library of the Penn Avenue Church was really in a disgraceful condition.
able
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Many of the books were missing, having been swallowed in that mysterious vortex which ingulfs lost things, no person living being able to give a lucid account of their departure.
account
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Many of the books were missing, having been swallowed in that mysterious vortex which ingulfs lost things, no person living being able to give a lucid account of their departure.
almost
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Some books had almost every leaf defaced by those irritating scribblers, who are never safe creatures with a lead pencil in their hands.
alonenounUS /alone/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading For years it had been let alone, until it had finally put itself into that state of dilapidation which let alone things can so skillfully assume.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Some books had almost every leaf defaced by those irritating scribblers, who are never safe creatures with a lead pencil in their hands.
assume
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For years it had been let alone, until it had finally put itself into that state of dilapidation which let alone things can so skillfully assume.
Avenue
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE Sabbath-school library of the Penn Avenue Church was really in a disgraceful condition.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading For years it had been let alone, until it had finally put itself into that state of dilapidation which let alone things can so skillfully assume.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading Many of the books were missing, having been swallowed in that mysterious vortex which ingulfs lost things, no person living being able to give a lucid account of their departure.
book
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Covers were sadly torn, corners curled, fly-leaves gone, in many cases the first dozen or twenty pages of the book missing, to say nothing of great gaps in the middle of the story or history.
booksnounUS /bʊks/
Bound written or printed works.
From this reading Some books had almost every leaf defaced by those irritating scribblers, who are never safe creatures with a lead pencil in their hands.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Some books had almost every leaf defaced by those irritating scribblers, who are never safe creatures with a lead pencil in their hands.
canmodal verbUS /kæn/
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading For years it had been let alone, until it had finally put itself into that state of dilapidation which let alone things can so skillfully assume.
cases
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Covers were sadly torn, corners curled, fly-leaves gone, in many cases the first dozen or twenty pages of the book missing, to say nothing of great gaps in the middle of the story or history.
Church
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE Sabbath-school library of the Penn Avenue Church was really in a disgraceful condition.
condition
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE Sabbath-school library of the Penn Avenue Church was really in a disgraceful condition.
corners
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Covers were sadly torn, corners curled, fly-leaves gone, in many cases the first dozen or twenty pages of the book missing, to say nothing of great gaps in the middle of the story or history.
Covers
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Covers were sadly torn, corners curled, fly-leaves gone, in many cases the first dozen or twenty pages of the book missing, to say nothing of great gaps in the middle of the story or history.
creatures
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Some books had almost every leaf defaced by those irritating scribblers, who are never safe creatures with a lead pencil in their hands.
curled
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Covers were sadly torn, corners curled, fly-leaves gone, in many cases the first dozen or twenty pages of the book missing, to say nothing of great gaps in the middle of the story or history.
defaced
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Some books had almost every leaf defaced by those irritating scribblers, who are never safe creatures with a lead pencil in their hands.
departure
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Many of the books were missing, having been swallowed in that mysterious vortex which ingulfs lost things, no person living being able to give a lucid account of their departure.
dilapidation
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For years it had been let alone, until it had finally put itself into that state of dilapidation which let alone things can so skillfully assume.
disgraceful
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE Sabbath-school library of the Penn Avenue Church was really in a disgraceful condition.
dozen
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Covers were sadly torn, corners curled, fly-leaves gone, in many cases the first dozen or twenty pages of the book missing, to say nothing of great gaps in the middle of the story or history.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading Some books had almost every leaf defaced by those irritating scribblers, who are never safe creatures with a lead pencil in their hands.
finally
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For years it had been let alone, until it had finally put itself into that state of dilapidation which let alone things can so skillfully assume.
firstnounUS /first/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Covers were sadly torn, corners curled, fly-leaves gone, in many cases the first dozen or twenty pages of the book missing, to say nothing of great gaps in the middle of the story or history.
fly-leaves
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Covers were sadly torn, corners curled, fly-leaves gone, in many cases the first dozen or twenty pages of the book missing, to say nothing of great gaps in the middle of the story or history.
ForprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For years it had been let alone, until it had finally put itself into that state of dilapidation which let alone things can so skillfully assume.
gaps
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Covers were sadly torn, corners curled, fly-leaves gone, in many cases the first dozen or twenty pages of the book missing, to say nothing of great gaps in the middle of the story or history.
give
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Many of the books were missing, having been swallowed in that mysterious vortex which ingulfs lost things, no person living being able to give a lucid account of their departure.
gone
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Covers were sadly torn, corners curled, fly-leaves gone, in many cases the first dozen or twenty pages of the book missing, to say nothing of great gaps in the middle of the story or history.
greatnounUS /great/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Covers were sadly torn, corners curled, fly-leaves gone, in many cases the first dozen or twenty pages of the book missing, to say nothing of great gaps in the middle of the story or history.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading For years it had been let alone, until it had finally put itself into that state of dilapidation which let alone things can so skillfully assume.
handsplural nounUS /hændz/
members of a ship’s crew
From this reading Some books had almost every leaf defaced by those irritating scribblers, who are never safe creatures with a lead pencil in their hands.
havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/
the -ing form of “have”
From this reading Many of the books were missing, having been swallowed in that mysterious vortex which ingulfs lost things, no person living being able to give a lucid account of their departure.
history
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Covers were sadly torn, corners curled, fly-leaves gone, in many cases the first dozen or twenty pages of the book missing, to say nothing of great gaps in the middle of the story or history.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THE Sabbath-school library of the Penn Avenue Church was really in a disgraceful condition.
ingulfs
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Many of the books were missing, having been swallowed in that mysterious vortex which ingulfs lost things, no person living being able to give a lucid account of their departure.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading For years it had been let alone, until it had finally put itself into that state of dilapidation which let alone things can so skillfully assume.
irritating
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Some books had almost every leaf defaced by those irritating scribblers, who are never safe creatures with a lead pencil in their hands.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading For years it had been let alone, until it had finally put itself into that state of dilapidation which let alone things can so skillfully assume.
itselfpronounUS /ˌɪtˈself/
used when the thing doing the action is also its object
From this reading For years it had been let alone, until it had finally put itself into that state of dilapidation which let alone things can so skillfully assume.
lead
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Some books had almost every leaf defaced by those irritating scribblers, who are never safe creatures with a lead pencil in their hands.
leaf
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Some books had almost every leaf defaced by those irritating scribblers, who are never safe creatures with a lead pencil in their hands.
letauxiliary verbUS /let/
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading For years it had been let alone, until it had finally put itself into that state of dilapidation which let alone things can so skillfully assume.
library
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE Sabbath-school library of the Penn Avenue Church was really in a disgraceful condition.
living
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Many of the books were missing, having been swallowed in that mysterious vortex which ingulfs lost things, no person living being able to give a lucid account of their departure.
lost
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Many of the books were missing, having been swallowed in that mysterious vortex which ingulfs lost things, no person living being able to give a lucid account of their departure.
lucid
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Many of the books were missing, having been swallowed in that mysterious vortex which ingulfs lost things, no person living being able to give a lucid account of their departure.
many
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Covers were sadly torn, corners curled, fly-leaves gone, in many cases the first dozen or twenty pages of the book missing, to say nothing of great gaps in the middle of the story or history.
middle
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Covers were sadly torn, corners curled, fly-leaves gone, in many cases the first dozen or twenty pages of the book missing, to say nothing of great gaps in the middle of the story or history.
missing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Covers were sadly torn, corners curled, fly-leaves gone, in many cases the first dozen or twenty pages of the book missing, to say nothing of great gaps in the middle of the story or history.
mysteriousadjectiveUS /mɪˈstɪriəs/
difficult to explain or understand
From this reading Many of the books were missing, having been swallowed in that mysterious vortex which ingulfs lost things, no person living being able to give a lucid account of their departure.
nevernounUS /never/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Some books had almost every leaf defaced by those irritating scribblers, who are never safe creatures with a lead pencil in their hands.
nodeterminerUS /noʊ/
not any; not one
From this reading Many of the books were missing, having been swallowed in that mysterious vortex which ingulfs lost things, no person living being able to give a lucid account of their departure.
nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/
not one thing; not anything
From this reading Covers were sadly torn, corners curled, fly-leaves gone, in many cases the first dozen or twenty pages of the book missing, to say nothing of great gaps in the middle of the story or history.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE Sabbath-school library of the Penn Avenue Church was really in a disgraceful condition.
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Covers were sadly torn, corners curled, fly-leaves gone, in many cases the first dozen or twenty pages of the book missing, to say nothing of great gaps in the middle of the story or history.
pages
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Covers were sadly torn, corners curled, fly-leaves gone, in many cases the first dozen or twenty pages of the book missing, to say nothing of great gaps in the middle of the story or history.
pencil
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Some books had almost every leaf defaced by those irritating scribblers, who are never safe creatures with a lead pencil in their hands.
Penn
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE Sabbath-school library of the Penn Avenue Church was really in a disgraceful condition.
person
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Many of the books were missing, having been swallowed in that mysterious vortex which ingulfs lost things, no person living being able to give a lucid account of their departure.
put
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For years it had been let alone, until it had finally put itself into that state of dilapidation which let alone things can so skillfully assume.
really
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE Sabbath-school library of the Penn Avenue Church was really in a disgraceful condition.
Sabbath-school
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE Sabbath-school library of the Penn Avenue Church was really in a disgraceful condition.
sadly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Covers were sadly torn, corners curled, fly-leaves gone, in many cases the first dozen or twenty pages of the book missing, to say nothing of great gaps in the middle of the story or history.
safe
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Some books had almost every leaf defaced by those irritating scribblers, who are never safe creatures with a lead pencil in their hands.
say
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Covers were sadly torn, corners curled, fly-leaves gone, in many cases the first dozen or twenty pages of the book missing, to say nothing of great gaps in the middle of the story or history.
scribblers
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Some books had almost every leaf defaced by those irritating scribblers, who are never safe creatures with a lead pencil in their hands.
skillfully
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For years it had been let alone, until it had finally put itself into that state of dilapidation which let alone things can so skillfully assume.
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading For years it had been let alone, until it had finally put itself into that state of dilapidation which let alone things can so skillfully assume.
Some
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Some books had almost every leaf defaced by those irritating scribblers, who are never safe creatures with a lead pencil in their hands.
state
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For years it had been let alone, until it had finally put itself into that state of dilapidation which let alone things can so skillfully assume.
story
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Covers were sadly torn, corners curled, fly-leaves gone, in many cases the first dozen or twenty pages of the book missing, to say nothing of great gaps in the middle of the story or history.
swallowed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Many of the books were missing, having been swallowed in that mysterious vortex which ingulfs lost things, no person living being able to give a lucid account of their departure.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading For years it had been let alone, until it had finally put itself into that state of dilapidation which let alone things can so skillfully assume.
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE Sabbath-school library of the Penn Avenue Church was really in a disgraceful condition.
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Some books had almost every leaf defaced by those irritating scribblers, who are never safe creatures with a lead pencil in their hands.
things
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For years it had been let alone, until it had finally put itself into that state of dilapidation which let alone things can so skillfully assume.
thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading Some books had almost every leaf defaced by those irritating scribblers, who are never safe creatures with a lead pencil in their hands.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Covers were sadly torn, corners curled, fly-leaves gone, in many cases the first dozen or twenty pages of the book missing, to say nothing of great gaps in the middle of the story or history.
torn
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Covers were sadly torn, corners curled, fly-leaves gone, in many cases the first dozen or twenty pages of the book missing, to say nothing of great gaps in the middle of the story or history.
twenty
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Covers were sadly torn, corners curled, fly-leaves gone, in many cases the first dozen or twenty pages of the book missing, to say nothing of great gaps in the middle of the story or history.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading For years it had been let alone, until it had finally put itself into that state of dilapidation which let alone things can so skillfully assume.
vortex
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Many of the books were missing, having been swallowed in that mysterious vortex which ingulfs lost things, no person living being able to give a lucid account of their departure.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading THE Sabbath-school library of the Penn Avenue Church was really in a disgraceful condition.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Covers were sadly torn, corners curled, fly-leaves gone, in many cases the first dozen or twenty pages of the book missing, to say nothing of great gaps in the middle of the story or history.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading For years it had been let alone, until it had finally put itself into that state of dilapidation which let alone things can so skillfully assume.
whopronounUS /huː/
which person or people
From this reading Some books had almost every leaf defaced by those irritating scribblers, who are never safe creatures with a lead pencil in their hands.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading Some books had almost every leaf defaced by those irritating scribblers, who are never safe creatures with a lead pencil in their hands.
years
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For years it had been let alone, until it had finally put itself into that state of dilapidation which let alone things can so skillfully assume.
