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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 When Baldassarre, with his hands bound together, and the rope round his neck and body, pushed his way behind the curtain, and saw the interior of the Duomo before him, he gave a start of astonishment, and stood still against the doorway.
againstprepositionUS /əˈɡenst/
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading When Baldassarre, with his hands bound together, and the rope round his neck and body, pushed his way behind the curtain, and saw the interior of the Duomo before him, he gave a start of astonishment, and stood still against the doorway.
all
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From this reading The multitude was of all ranks, from magistrates and dames of gentle nurture to coarsely-clad artisans and country people.
altars
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From this reading He had expected to see a vast nave empty of everything but lifeless emblems—side altars with candles unlit, dim pictures, pale and rigid statues—with perhaps a few worshippers in the distant choir following a monotonous chant.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading When Baldassarre, with his hands bound together, and the rope round his neck and body, pushed his way behind the curtain, and saw the interior of the Duomo before him, he gave a start of astonishment, and stood still against the doorway.
angle
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From this reading And he saw, instead, a vast multitude of warm, living faces, upturned in breathless silence towards the pulpit, at the angle between the nave and the choir.
any
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From this reading That was the ordinary aspect of churches to a man who never went into them with any religious purpose.
artisans
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From this reading The multitude was of all ranks, from magistrates and dames of gentle nurture to coarsely-clad artisans and country people.
aspect
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From this reading That was the ordinary aspect of churches to a man who never went into them with any religious purpose.
astonishment
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From this reading When Baldassarre, with his hands bound together, and the rope round his neck and body, pushed his way behind the curtain, and saw the interior of the Duomo before him, he gave a start of astonishment, and stood still against the doorway.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading And he saw, instead, a vast multitude of warm, living faces, upturned in breathless silence towards the pulpit, at the angle between the nave and the choir.
Baldassarre
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From this reading When Baldassarre, with his hands bound together, and the rope round his neck and body, pushed his way behind the curtain, and saw the interior of the Duomo before him, he gave a start of astonishment, and stood still against the doorway.
beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/
earlier than; in front of
From this reading When Baldassarre, with his hands bound together, and the rope round his neck and body, pushed his way behind the curtain, and saw the interior of the Duomo before him, he gave a start of astonishment, and stood still against the doorway.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading When Baldassarre, with his hands bound together, and the rope round his neck and body, pushed his way behind the curtain, and saw the interior of the Duomo before him, he gave a start of astonishment, and stood still against the doorway.
betweenprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading And he saw, instead, a vast multitude of warm, living faces, upturned in breathless silence towards the pulpit, at the angle between the nave and the choir.
bodynounUS /body/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading When Baldassarre, with his hands bound together, and the rope round his neck and body, pushed his way behind the curtain, and saw the interior of the Duomo before him, he gave a start of astonishment, and stood still against the doorway.
bound
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From this reading When Baldassarre, with his hands bound together, and the rope round his neck and body, pushed his way behind the curtain, and saw the interior of the Duomo before him, he gave a start of astonishment, and stood still against the doorway.
breathless
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From this reading And he saw, instead, a vast multitude of warm, living faces, upturned in breathless silence towards the pulpit, at the angle between the nave and the choir.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading He had expected to see a vast nave empty of everything but lifeless emblems—side altars with candles unlit, dim pictures, pale and rigid statues—with perhaps a few worshippers in the distant choir following a monotonous chant.
candles
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From this reading He had expected to see a vast nave empty of everything but lifeless emblems—side altars with candles unlit, dim pictures, pale and rigid statues—with perhaps a few worshippers in the distant choir following a monotonous chant.
chant
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From this reading He had expected to see a vast nave empty of everything but lifeless emblems—side altars with candles unlit, dim pictures, pale and rigid statues—with perhaps a few worshippers in the distant choir following a monotonous chant.
choir
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From this reading He had expected to see a vast nave empty of everything but lifeless emblems—side altars with candles unlit, dim pictures, pale and rigid statues—with perhaps a few worshippers in the distant choir following a monotonous chant.
churches
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From this reading That was the ordinary aspect of churches to a man who never went into them with any religious purpose.
coarsely-clad
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From this reading The multitude was of all ranks, from magistrates and dames of gentle nurture to coarsely-clad artisans and country people.
country
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From this reading The multitude was of all ranks, from magistrates and dames of gentle nurture to coarsely-clad artisans and country people.
curtain
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From this reading When Baldassarre, with his hands bound together, and the rope round his neck and body, pushed his way behind the curtain, and saw the interior of the Duomo before him, he gave a start of astonishment, and stood still against the doorway.
dames
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From this reading The multitude was of all ranks, from magistrates and dames of gentle nurture to coarsely-clad artisans and country people.
dim
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From this reading He had expected to see a vast nave empty of everything but lifeless emblems—side altars with candles unlit, dim pictures, pale and rigid statues—with perhaps a few worshippers in the distant choir following a monotonous chant.
distantadjectiveUS /ˈdɪstənt/
not friendly or close
From this reading He had expected to see a vast nave empty of everything but lifeless emblems—side altars with candles unlit, dim pictures, pale and rigid statues—with perhaps a few worshippers in the distant choir following a monotonous chant.
doorway
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When Baldassarre, with his hands bound together, and the rope round his neck and body, pushed his way behind the curtain, and saw the interior of the Duomo before him, he gave a start of astonishment, and stood still against the doorway.
Duomo
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From this reading When Baldassarre, with his hands bound together, and the rope round his neck and body, pushed his way behind the curtain, and saw the interior of the Duomo before him, he gave a start of astonishment, and stood still against the doorway.
emblems
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From this reading He had expected to see a vast nave empty of everything but lifeless emblems—side altars with candles unlit, dim pictures, pale and rigid statues—with perhaps a few worshippers in the distant choir following a monotonous chant.
empty
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had expected to see a vast nave empty of everything but lifeless emblems—side altars with candles unlit, dim pictures, pale and rigid statues—with perhaps a few worshippers in the distant choir following a monotonous chant.
everythingpronounUS /ˈevriθɪŋ/
all things; all of a situation
From this reading He had expected to see a vast nave empty of everything but lifeless emblems—side altars with candles unlit, dim pictures, pale and rigid statues—with perhaps a few worshippers in the distant choir following a monotonous chant.
expected
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From this reading He had expected to see a vast nave empty of everything but lifeless emblems—side altars with candles unlit, dim pictures, pale and rigid statues—with perhaps a few worshippers in the distant choir following a monotonous chant.
faces
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And he saw, instead, a vast multitude of warm, living faces, upturned in breathless silence towards the pulpit, at the angle between the nave and the choir.
few
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From this reading He had expected to see a vast nave empty of everything but lifeless emblems—side altars with candles unlit, dim pictures, pale and rigid statues—with perhaps a few worshippers in the distant choir following a monotonous chant.
following
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had expected to see a vast nave empty of everything but lifeless emblems—side altars with candles unlit, dim pictures, pale and rigid statues—with perhaps a few worshippers in the distant choir following a monotonous chant.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The multitude was of all ranks, from magistrates and dames of gentle nurture to coarsely-clad artisans and country people.
gave
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From this reading When Baldassarre, with his hands bound together, and the rope round his neck and body, pushed his way behind the curtain, and saw the interior of the Duomo before him, he gave a start of astonishment, and stood still against the doorway.
gentle
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The multitude was of all ranks, from magistrates and dames of gentle nurture to coarsely-clad artisans and country people.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He had expected to see a vast nave empty of everything but lifeless emblems—side altars with candles unlit, dim pictures, pale and rigid statues—with perhaps a few worshippers in the distant choir following a monotonous chant.
handsplural nounUS /hændz/
members of a ship’s crew
From this reading When Baldassarre, with his hands bound together, and the rope round his neck and body, pushed his way behind the curtain, and saw the interior of the Duomo before him, he gave a start of astonishment, and stood still against the doorway.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading When Baldassarre, with his hands bound together, and the rope round his neck and body, pushed his way behind the curtain, and saw the interior of the Duomo before him, he gave a start of astonishment, and stood still against the doorway.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading When Baldassarre, with his hands bound together, and the rope round his neck and body, pushed his way behind the curtain, and saw the interior of the Duomo before him, he gave a start of astonishment, and stood still against the doorway.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading When Baldassarre, with his hands bound together, and the rope round his neck and body, pushed his way behind the curtain, and saw the interior of the Duomo before him, he gave a start of astonishment, and stood still against the doorway.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He had expected to see a vast nave empty of everything but lifeless emblems—side altars with candles unlit, dim pictures, pale and rigid statues—with perhaps a few worshippers in the distant choir following a monotonous chant.
instead
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And he saw, instead, a vast multitude of warm, living faces, upturned in breathless silence towards the pulpit, at the angle between the nave and the choir.
interior
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When Baldassarre, with his hands bound together, and the rope round his neck and body, pushed his way behind the curtain, and saw the interior of the Duomo before him, he gave a start of astonishment, and stood still against the doorway.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading That was the ordinary aspect of churches to a man who never went into them with any religious purpose.
lifeless
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From this reading He had expected to see a vast nave empty of everything but lifeless emblems—side altars with candles unlit, dim pictures, pale and rigid statues—with perhaps a few worshippers in the distant choir following a monotonous chant.
living
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And he saw, instead, a vast multitude of warm, living faces, upturned in breathless silence towards the pulpit, at the angle between the nave and the choir.
magistratesplural nounUS /ˈmædʒɪstreɪts/
civil officers who administer local law
From this reading The multitude was of all ranks, from magistrates and dames of gentle nurture to coarsely-clad artisans and country people.
man
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That was the ordinary aspect of churches to a man who never went into them with any religious purpose.
monotonous
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From this reading He had expected to see a vast nave empty of everything but lifeless emblems—side altars with candles unlit, dim pictures, pale and rigid statues—with perhaps a few worshippers in the distant choir following a monotonous chant.
multitude
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And he saw, instead, a vast multitude of warm, living faces, upturned in breathless silence towards the pulpit, at the angle between the nave and the choir.
nave
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had expected to see a vast nave empty of everything but lifeless emblems—side altars with candles unlit, dim pictures, pale and rigid statues—with perhaps a few worshippers in the distant choir following a monotonous chant.
neck
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When Baldassarre, with his hands bound together, and the rope round his neck and body, pushed his way behind the curtain, and saw the interior of the Duomo before him, he gave a start of astonishment, and stood still against the doorway.
nevernounUS /never/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading That was the ordinary aspect of churches to a man who never went into them with any religious purpose.
nurture
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From this reading The multitude was of all ranks, from magistrates and dames of gentle nurture to coarsely-clad artisans and country people.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading When Baldassarre, with his hands bound together, and the rope round his neck and body, pushed his way behind the curtain, and saw the interior of the Duomo before him, he gave a start of astonishment, and stood still against the doorway.
ordinary
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That was the ordinary aspect of churches to a man who never went into them with any religious purpose.
pale
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From this reading He had expected to see a vast nave empty of everything but lifeless emblems—side altars with candles unlit, dim pictures, pale and rigid statues—with perhaps a few worshippers in the distant choir following a monotonous chant.
people
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The multitude was of all ranks, from magistrates and dames of gentle nurture to coarsely-clad artisans and country people.
perhaps
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From this reading He had expected to see a vast nave empty of everything but lifeless emblems—side altars with candles unlit, dim pictures, pale and rigid statues—with perhaps a few worshippers in the distant choir following a monotonous chant.
pictures
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had expected to see a vast nave empty of everything but lifeless emblems—side altars with candles unlit, dim pictures, pale and rigid statues—with perhaps a few worshippers in the distant choir following a monotonous chant.
pulpit
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And he saw, instead, a vast multitude of warm, living faces, upturned in breathless silence towards the pulpit, at the angle between the nave and the choir.
purpose
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That was the ordinary aspect of churches to a man who never went into them with any religious purpose.
pushed
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From this reading When Baldassarre, with his hands bound together, and the rope round his neck and body, pushed his way behind the curtain, and saw the interior of the Duomo before him, he gave a start of astonishment, and stood still against the doorway.
ranks
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The multitude was of all ranks, from magistrates and dames of gentle nurture to coarsely-clad artisans and country people.
religious
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That was the ordinary aspect of churches to a man who never went into them with any religious purpose.
rigid
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From this reading He had expected to see a vast nave empty of everything but lifeless emblems—side altars with candles unlit, dim pictures, pale and rigid statues—with perhaps a few worshippers in the distant choir following a monotonous chant.
rope
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When Baldassarre, with his hands bound together, and the rope round his neck and body, pushed his way behind the curtain, and saw the interior of the Duomo before him, he gave a start of astonishment, and stood still against the doorway.
round
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When Baldassarre, with his hands bound together, and the rope round his neck and body, pushed his way behind the curtain, and saw the interior of the Duomo before him, he gave a start of astonishment, and stood still against the doorway.
saw
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When Baldassarre, with his hands bound together, and the rope round his neck and body, pushed his way behind the curtain, and saw the interior of the Duomo before him, he gave a start of astonishment, and stood still against the doorway.
see
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had expected to see a vast nave empty of everything but lifeless emblems—side altars with candles unlit, dim pictures, pale and rigid statues—with perhaps a few worshippers in the distant choir following a monotonous chant.
side
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had expected to see a vast nave empty of everything but lifeless emblems—side altars with candles unlit, dim pictures, pale and rigid statues—with perhaps a few worshippers in the distant choir following a monotonous chant.
silencenounUS /ˈsaɪ.ləns/
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading And he saw, instead, a vast multitude of warm, living faces, upturned in breathless silence towards the pulpit, at the angle between the nave and the choir.
startnounUS /start/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading When Baldassarre, with his hands bound together, and the rope round his neck and body, pushed his way behind the curtain, and saw the interior of the Duomo before him, he gave a start of astonishment, and stood still against the doorway.
statues
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had expected to see a vast nave empty of everything but lifeless emblems—side altars with candles unlit, dim pictures, pale and rigid statues—with perhaps a few worshippers in the distant choir following a monotonous chant.
stillnounUS /still/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading When Baldassarre, with his hands bound together, and the rope round his neck and body, pushed his way behind the curtain, and saw the interior of the Duomo before him, he gave a start of astonishment, and stood still against the doorway.
stoodnounUS /stood/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading When Baldassarre, with his hands bound together, and the rope round his neck and body, pushed his way behind the curtain, and saw the interior of the Duomo before him, he gave a start of astonishment, and stood still against the doorway.
ThatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading That was the ordinary aspect of churches to a man who never went into them with any religious purpose.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading When Baldassarre, with his hands bound together, and the rope round his neck and body, pushed his way behind the curtain, and saw the interior of the Duomo before him, he gave a start of astonishment, and stood still against the doorway.
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading That was the ordinary aspect of churches to a man who never went into them with any religious purpose.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He had expected to see a vast nave empty of everything but lifeless emblems—side altars with candles unlit, dim pictures, pale and rigid statues—with perhaps a few worshippers in the distant choir following a monotonous chant.
together
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When Baldassarre, with his hands bound together, and the rope round his neck and body, pushed his way behind the curtain, and saw the interior of the Duomo before him, he gave a start of astonishment, and stood still against the doorway.
towardsprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrdz/
in the direction of
From this reading And he saw, instead, a vast multitude of warm, living faces, upturned in breathless silence towards the pulpit, at the angle between the nave and the choir.
unlit
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had expected to see a vast nave empty of everything but lifeless emblems—side altars with candles unlit, dim pictures, pale and rigid statues—with perhaps a few worshippers in the distant choir following a monotonous chant.
upturned
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And he saw, instead, a vast multitude of warm, living faces, upturned in breathless silence towards the pulpit, at the angle between the nave and the choir.
vast
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had expected to see a vast nave empty of everything but lifeless emblems—side altars with candles unlit, dim pictures, pale and rigid statues—with perhaps a few worshippers in the distant choir following a monotonous chant.
warm
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And he saw, instead, a vast multitude of warm, living faces, upturned in breathless silence towards the pulpit, at the angle between the nave and the choir.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading That was the ordinary aspect of churches to a man who never went into them with any religious purpose.
way
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When Baldassarre, with his hands bound together, and the rope round his neck and body, pushed his way behind the curtain, and saw the interior of the Duomo before him, he gave a start of astonishment, and stood still against the doorway.
wentnounUS /went/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading That was the ordinary aspect of churches to a man who never went into them with any religious purpose.
WhenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading When Baldassarre, with his hands bound together, and the rope round his neck and body, pushed his way behind the curtain, and saw the interior of the Duomo before him, he gave a start of astonishment, and stood still against the doorway.
whopronounUS /huː/
which person or people
From this reading That was the ordinary aspect of churches to a man who never went into them with any religious purpose.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading When Baldassarre, with his hands bound together, and the rope round his neck and body, pushed his way behind the curtain, and saw the interior of the Duomo before him, he gave a start of astonishment, and stood still against the doorway.
worshippers
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had expected to see a vast nave empty of everything but lifeless emblems—side altars with candles unlit, dim pictures, pale and rigid statues—with perhaps a few worshippers in the distant choir following a monotonous chant.
