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 symposium, that evening, might have degenerated into something like an orgy but for the masterful intervention of Denis who was not going to let Keith make a fool of himself.
accumulated
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the course of time, as more barrels accumulated, the grotto was excavated further and further into the entrails of the island.
all
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From this reading It took place in the most famous of all the caves of Nepenthe-Luisella's grotto-cavern dedicated, by common usage, to the worship of Venus and Bacchus.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading The symposium, that evening, might have degenerated into something like an orgy but for the masterful intervention of Denis who was not going to let Keith make a fool of himself.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It took place in the most famous of all the caves of Nepenthe-Luisella's grotto-cavern dedicated, by common usage, to the worship of Venus and Bacchus.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Walking through the first of these you clambered down some slippery stairs into what was once a breathless subterranean vault hewn out of the soft and dry pumiceous rock and used, as was customary, for storing barrels and other paraphernalia.
Bacchus
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From this reading It took place in the most famous of all the caves of Nepenthe-Luisella's grotto-cavern dedicated, by common usage, to the worship of Venus and Bacchus.
barrels
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Walking through the first of these you clambered down some slippery stairs into what was once a breathless subterranean vault hewn out of the soft and dry pumiceous rock and used, as was customary, for storing barrels and other paraphernalia.
breathless
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From this reading Walking through the first of these you clambered down some slippery stairs into what was once a breathless subterranean vault hewn out of the soft and dry pumiceous rock and used, as was customary, for storing barrels and other paraphernalia.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The symposium, that evening, might have degenerated into something like an orgy but for the masterful intervention of Denis who was not going to let Keith make a fool of himself.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading It took place in the most famous of all the caves of Nepenthe-Luisella's grotto-cavern dedicated, by common usage, to the worship of Venus and Bacchus.
caves
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From this reading It took place in the most famous of all the caves of Nepenthe-Luisella's grotto-cavern dedicated, by common usage, to the worship of Venus and Bacchus.
clambered
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Walking through the first of these you clambered down some slippery stairs into what was once a breathless subterranean vault hewn out of the soft and dry pumiceous rock and used, as was customary, for storing barrels and other paraphernalia.
common
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From this reading It took place in the most famous of all the caves of Nepenthe-Luisella's grotto-cavern dedicated, by common usage, to the worship of Venus and Bacchus.
coursenounUS /course/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading In the course of time, as more barrels accumulated, the grotto was excavated further and further into the entrails of the island.
customary
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Walking through the first of these you clambered down some slippery stairs into what was once a breathless subterranean vault hewn out of the soft and dry pumiceous rock and used, as was customary, for storing barrels and other paraphernalia.
dedicated
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From this reading It took place in the most famous of all the caves of Nepenthe-Luisella's grotto-cavern dedicated, by common usage, to the worship of Venus and Bacchus.
degenerated
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From this reading The symposium, that evening, might have degenerated into something like an orgy but for the masterful intervention of Denis who was not going to let Keith make a fool of himself.
Denis
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From this reading The symposium, that evening, might have degenerated into something like an orgy but for the masterful intervention of Denis who was not going to let Keith make a fool of himself.
down
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From this reading Walking through the first of these you clambered down some slippery stairs into what was once a breathless subterranean vault hewn out of the soft and dry pumiceous rock and used, as was customary, for storing barrels and other paraphernalia.
dry
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Walking through the first of these you clambered down some slippery stairs into what was once a breathless subterranean vault hewn out of the soft and dry pumiceous rock and used, as was customary, for storing barrels and other paraphernalia.
entrails
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the course of time, as more barrels accumulated, the grotto was excavated further and further into the entrails of the island.
evening
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The symposium, that evening, might have degenerated into something like an orgy but for the masterful intervention of Denis who was not going to let Keith make a fool of himself.
excavated
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the course of time, as more barrels accumulated, the grotto was excavated further and further into the entrails of the island.
famous
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From this reading It took place in the most famous of all the caves of Nepenthe-Luisella's grotto-cavern dedicated, by common usage, to the worship of Venus and Bacchus.
firstnounUS /first/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Walking through the first of these you clambered down some slippery stairs into what was once a breathless subterranean vault hewn out of the soft and dry pumiceous rock and used, as was customary, for storing barrels and other paraphernalia.
foolnounUS /fool/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The symposium, that evening, might have degenerated into something like an orgy but for the masterful intervention of Denis who was not going to let Keith make a fool of himself.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The symposium, that evening, might have degenerated into something like an orgy but for the masterful intervention of Denis who was not going to let Keith make a fool of himself.
further
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the course of time, as more barrels accumulated, the grotto was excavated further and further into the entrails of the island.
going
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From this reading The symposium, that evening, might have degenerated into something like an orgy but for the masterful intervention of Denis who was not going to let Keith make a fool of himself.
grotto
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the course of time, as more barrels accumulated, the grotto was excavated further and further into the entrails of the island.
grotto-cavern
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It took place in the most famous of all the caves of Nepenthe-Luisella's grotto-cavern dedicated, by common usage, to the worship of Venus and Bacchus.
ground
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There were two or three living rooms on the surface of the ground.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading The symposium, that evening, might have degenerated into something like an orgy but for the masterful intervention of Denis who was not going to let Keith make a fool of himself.
hewn
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Walking through the first of these you clambered down some slippery stairs into what was once a breathless subterranean vault hewn out of the soft and dry pumiceous rock and used, as was customary, for storing barrels and other paraphernalia.
himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading The symposium, that evening, might have degenerated into something like an orgy but for the masterful intervention of Denis who was not going to let Keith make a fool of himself.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading It took place in the most famous of all the caves of Nepenthe-Luisella's grotto-cavern dedicated, by common usage, to the worship of Venus and Bacchus.
intervention
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The symposium, that evening, might have degenerated into something like an orgy but for the masterful intervention of Denis who was not going to let Keith make a fool of himself.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading The symposium, that evening, might have degenerated into something like an orgy but for the masterful intervention of Denis who was not going to let Keith make a fool of himself.
island
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the course of time, as more barrels accumulated, the grotto was excavated further and further into the entrails of the island.
ItpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It took place in the most famous of all the caves of Nepenthe-Luisella's grotto-cavern dedicated, by common usage, to the worship of Venus and Bacchus.
Keith
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The symposium, that evening, might have degenerated into something like an orgy but for the masterful intervention of Denis who was not going to let Keith make a fool of himself.
letauxiliary verbUS /let/
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading The symposium, that evening, might have degenerated into something like an orgy but for the masterful intervention of Denis who was not going to let Keith make a fool of himself.
like
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The symposium, that evening, might have degenerated into something like an orgy but for the masterful intervention of Denis who was not going to let Keith make a fool of himself.
living
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There were two or three living rooms on the surface of the ground.
makenounUS /make/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The symposium, that evening, might have degenerated into something like an orgy but for the masterful intervention of Denis who was not going to let Keith make a fool of himself.
masterful
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The symposium, that evening, might have degenerated into something like an orgy but for the masterful intervention of Denis who was not going to let Keith make a fool of himself.
mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading The symposium, that evening, might have degenerated into something like an orgy but for the masterful intervention of Denis who was not going to let Keith make a fool of himself.
more
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the course of time, as more barrels accumulated, the grotto was excavated further and further into the entrails of the island.
most
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It took place in the most famous of all the caves of Nepenthe-Luisella's grotto-cavern dedicated, by common usage, to the worship of Venus and Bacchus.
Nepenthe-Luisella's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It took place in the most famous of all the caves of Nepenthe-Luisella's grotto-cavern dedicated, by common usage, to the worship of Venus and Bacchus.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The symposium, that evening, might have degenerated into something like an orgy but for the masterful intervention of Denis who was not going to let Keith make a fool of himself.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The symposium, that evening, might have degenerated into something like an orgy but for the masterful intervention of Denis who was not going to let Keith make a fool of himself.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading There were two or three living rooms on the surface of the ground.
once
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Walking through the first of these you clambered down some slippery stairs into what was once a breathless subterranean vault hewn out of the soft and dry pumiceous rock and used, as was customary, for storing barrels and other paraphernalia.
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading There were two or three living rooms on the surface of the ground.
orgy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The symposium, that evening, might have degenerated into something like an orgy but for the masterful intervention of Denis who was not going to let Keith make a fool of himself.
other
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Walking through the first of these you clambered down some slippery stairs into what was once a breathless subterranean vault hewn out of the soft and dry pumiceous rock and used, as was customary, for storing barrels and other paraphernalia.
out
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Walking through the first of these you clambered down some slippery stairs into what was once a breathless subterranean vault hewn out of the soft and dry pumiceous rock and used, as was customary, for storing barrels and other paraphernalia.
paraphernalia
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Walking through the first of these you clambered down some slippery stairs into what was once a breathless subterranean vault hewn out of the soft and dry pumiceous rock and used, as was customary, for storing barrels and other paraphernalia.
place
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It took place in the most famous of all the caves of Nepenthe-Luisella's grotto-cavern dedicated, by common usage, to the worship of Venus and Bacchus.
pumiceous
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Walking through the first of these you clambered down some slippery stairs into what was once a breathless subterranean vault hewn out of the soft and dry pumiceous rock and used, as was customary, for storing barrels and other paraphernalia.
rock
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Walking through the first of these you clambered down some slippery stairs into what was once a breathless subterranean vault hewn out of the soft and dry pumiceous rock and used, as was customary, for storing barrels and other paraphernalia.
rooms
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There were two or three living rooms on the surface of the ground.
slippery
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Walking through the first of these you clambered down some slippery stairs into what was once a breathless subterranean vault hewn out of the soft and dry pumiceous rock and used, as was customary, for storing barrels and other paraphernalia.
soft
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Walking through the first of these you clambered down some slippery stairs into what was once a breathless subterranean vault hewn out of the soft and dry pumiceous rock and used, as was customary, for storing barrels and other paraphernalia.
some
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Walking through the first of these you clambered down some slippery stairs into what was once a breathless subterranean vault hewn out of the soft and dry pumiceous rock and used, as was customary, for storing barrels and other paraphernalia.
somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/
a thing, without saying which
From this reading The symposium, that evening, might have degenerated into something like an orgy but for the masterful intervention of Denis who was not going to let Keith make a fool of himself.
stairs
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Walking through the first of these you clambered down some slippery stairs into what was once a breathless subterranean vault hewn out of the soft and dry pumiceous rock and used, as was customary, for storing barrels and other paraphernalia.
storing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Walking through the first of these you clambered down some slippery stairs into what was once a breathless subterranean vault hewn out of the soft and dry pumiceous rock and used, as was customary, for storing barrels and other paraphernalia.
subterraneanadjectiveUS /ˌsʌb.təˈreɪ.ni.ən/
Existing, occurring, or done under the earth's surface.
From this reading Walking through the first of these you clambered down some slippery stairs into what was once a breathless subterranean vault hewn out of the soft and dry pumiceous rock and used, as was customary, for storing barrels and other paraphernalia.
surface
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There were two or three living rooms on the surface of the ground.
symposium
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The symposium, that evening, might have degenerated into something like an orgy but for the masterful intervention of Denis who was not going to let Keith make a fool of himself.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The symposium, that evening, might have degenerated into something like an orgy but for the masterful intervention of Denis who was not going to let Keith make a fool of himself.
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The symposium, that evening, might have degenerated into something like an orgy but for the masterful intervention of Denis who was not going to let Keith make a fool of himself.
There
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There were two or three living rooms on the surface of the ground.
thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading Walking through the first of these you clambered down some slippery stairs into what was once a breathless subterranean vault hewn out of the soft and dry pumiceous rock and used, as was customary, for storing barrels and other paraphernalia.
three
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There were two or three living rooms on the surface of the ground.
throughnounUS /ˈthrough/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading Walking through the first of these you clambered down some slippery stairs into what was once a breathless subterranean vault hewn out of the soft and dry pumiceous rock and used, as was customary, for storing barrels and other paraphernalia.
timenounUS /time/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading In the course of time, as more barrels accumulated, the grotto was excavated further and further into the entrails of the island.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The symposium, that evening, might have degenerated into something like an orgy but for the masterful intervention of Denis who was not going to let Keith make a fool of himself.
tooknounUS /took/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading It took place in the most famous of all the caves of Nepenthe-Luisella's grotto-cavern dedicated, by common usage, to the worship of Venus and Bacchus.
two
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There were two or three living rooms on the surface of the ground.
usage
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It took place in the most famous of all the caves of Nepenthe-Luisella's grotto-cavern dedicated, by common usage, to the worship of Venus and Bacchus.
used
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Walking through the first of these you clambered down some slippery stairs into what was once a breathless subterranean vault hewn out of the soft and dry pumiceous rock and used, as was customary, for storing barrels and other paraphernalia.
vaultnounUS /vɔːlt/
a stone room, often below a church, used for burial
From this reading Walking through the first of these you clambered down some slippery stairs into what was once a breathless subterranean vault hewn out of the soft and dry pumiceous rock and used, as was customary, for storing barrels and other paraphernalia.
Venus
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It took place in the most famous of all the caves of Nepenthe-Luisella's grotto-cavern dedicated, by common usage, to the worship of Venus and Bacchus.
Walking
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Walking through the first of these you clambered down some slippery stairs into what was once a breathless subterranean vault hewn out of the soft and dry pumiceous rock and used, as was customary, for storing barrels and other paraphernalia.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The symposium, that evening, might have degenerated into something like an orgy but for the masterful intervention of Denis who was not going to let Keith make a fool of himself.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading There were two or three living rooms on the surface of the ground.
whatpronounUS /wʌt/
used to ask for information about something
From this reading Walking through the first of these you clambered down some slippery stairs into what was once a breathless subterranean vault hewn out of the soft and dry pumiceous rock and used, as was customary, for storing barrels and other paraphernalia.
whopronounUS /huː/
which person or people
From this reading The symposium, that evening, might have degenerated into something like an orgy but for the masterful intervention of Denis who was not going to let Keith make a fool of himself.
worship
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It took place in the most famous of all the caves of Nepenthe-Luisella's grotto-cavern dedicated, by common usage, to the worship of Venus and Bacchus.
youpronounUS /juː/
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Walking through the first of these you clambered down some slippery stairs into what was once a breathless subterranean vault hewn out of the soft and dry pumiceous rock and used, as was customary, for storing barrels and other paraphernalia.
