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.
accumulatedadjectiveUS /əˈkjuːmjəleɪtɪd/
periodically accumulated over time
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.
alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
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.
BacchusnounUS /ˈbækɪs/
(classical mythology) god of wine; equivalent of Dionysus
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.
barrelsnounUS /ˈbærəlz/
the amount that many barrels might hold
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.
breathlessadjectiveUS /ˈbreθləs/
not breathing or able to breathe except with difficulty
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.
cavesnounUS /keɪvz/
plural of “cave” — a geological formation consisting of an underground enclosure with access from the surface of the ground or from the sea
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.
clamberedverbUS /ˈklæmbərd/
past form of “clamber” — climb awkwardly, as if by scrambling
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.
commonadjectiveUS /ˈkɑːmən/
belonging to or participated in by a community as a whole; public
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 /kɔːrs/
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
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.
customaryadjectiveUS /ˈkʌstəmeri/
in accordance with convention or custom
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.
dedicatedadjectiveUS /ˈdedəkeɪtəd/
devoted to a cause or ideal or purpose
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.
degeneratedverbUS /dɪˈdʒenəreɪtɪd/
past form of “degenerate” — grow worse
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
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.
downadjectiveUS /daʊn/
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
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.
dryadjectiveUS /draɪ/
free from liquid or moisture; lacking natural or normal moisture or depleted of water; or no longer wet
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.
entrailsnounUS /ˈentrəlz/
internal organs collectively (especially those in the abdominal cavity)
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.
eveningnounUS /ˈiːvnɪŋ/
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
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.
excavatedverbUS /ˈekskəveɪtɪd/
past form of “excavate” — recover through digging
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.
famousadjectiveUS /ˈfeɪməs/
widely known and esteemed
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.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
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 /fuːl/
a person who lacks good judgment
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.
furtheradverbUS /ˈfɜːrðər/
to or at a greater extent or degree or a more advanced stage (“further” is used more often than “farther” in this abstract sense)
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.
goingnounUS /ˈɡoʊɪŋ/
the act of departing
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.
grottonounUS /ˈɡrɑːtoʊ/
a small cave (usually with attractive features)
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.
groundnounUS /ɡraʊnd/
the solid part of the earth's surface
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.
hewnadjectiveUS /hjuːn/
cut or shaped with hard blows of a heavy cutting instrument like an ax or chisel
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.
interventionnounUS /ˌɪntərˈvenʃən/
the act of intervening (as to mediate a dispute, etc.)
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.
islandnounUS /ˈaɪlənd/
a land mass (smaller than a continent) that is surrounded by water
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.
likeverbUS /laɪk/
prefer or wish to do 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.
livingnounUS /ˈlɪvɪŋ/
the experience of being alive; the course of human events and activities
From this reading There were two or three living rooms on the surface of the ground.
makeverbUS /meɪk/
engage in
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.
masterfuladjectiveUS /ˈmæstərfəl/
having or revealing supreme mastery or skill
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.
moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
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.
mostadverbUS /moʊst/
used to form the superlative
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.
onceadverbUS /wʌns/
on one occasion
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.
orgynounUS /ˈɔːrdʒi/
any act of immoderate indulgence
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.
otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
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.
outadjectiveUS /aʊt/
not allowed to continue to bat or run
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.
paraphernalianounUS /ˌperəfəˈneɪljə/
equipment consisting of miscellaneous articles needed for a particular operation or sport etc.
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.
placenounUS /pleɪs/
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
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.
rocknounUS /rɑːk/
a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
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.
roomsnounUS /ruːmz/
apartment consisting of a series of connected rooms used as a living unit (as in a hotel)
From this reading There were two or three living rooms on the surface of the ground.
slipperyadjectiveUS /ˈslɪpəri/
causing or tending to cause things to slip or slide
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.
softadjectiveUS /sɑːft/
yielding readily to pressure or weight
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.
someadjectiveUS /sʌm/
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
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.
stairsnounUS /sterz/
a flight of stairs or a flight of steps
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.
storingverbUS /ˈstɔːrɪŋ/
-ing form of “store” — keep or lay aside for future use
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.
surfacenounUS /ˈsɜːrfəs/
the outer boundary of an artifact or a material layer constituting or resembling such a boundary
From this reading There were two or three living rooms on the surface of the ground.
symposiumnounUS /sɪmˈpoʊziəm/
a meeting or conference for the public discussion of some topic especially one in which the participants form an audience and make presentations
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.
ThereadverbUS /ðer/
in or at that place or location
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.
threenounUS /θriː/
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading There were two or three living rooms on the surface of the ground.
throughprepositionUS /θruː/
from one end or side of something to the other
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 /taɪm/
an instance or single occasion for some event
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.
tookverbUS /tʊk/
inflected form of “take” — carry out
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.
twonounUS /tuː/
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading There were two or three living rooms on the surface of the ground.
usagenounUS /ˈjuːsədʒ/
the act of using
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.
usedadjectiveUS /juːzd/
employed in accomplishing 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.
vaultnounUS /vɒlt/
An arched structure of masonry forming a ceiling, or a secure subterranean storage room.
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.
VenusnounUS /ˈviːnəs/
the second nearest planet to the sun
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.
WalkingadjectiveUS /ˈwɔːkɪŋ/
close enough to be walked 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.
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.
worshipverbUS /ˈwɜːrʃəp/
love unquestioningly and uncritically or to excess; venerate as an idol
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.
