adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading “The eyes had burned such a hole in my consciousness that for a long time I went on puzzling over the nature of the apparition, and wondering nervously if it would ever come back.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading At any rate, I’d found some pretext of the kind for taking a sunny apartment in the Piazza di Spagna and dabbling about indefinitely in the Forum; and there, one morning, a charming youth came to me.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “The eyes had burned such a hole in my consciousness that for a long time I went on puzzling over the nature of the apparition, and wondering nervously if it would ever come back.
anotherdeterminerUS /əˈnʌðər/
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading “The second year found me settled in Rome, where I was planning, I believe, to write another great book--a definitive work on Etruscan influences in Italian art.
anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading At any rate, I’d found some pretext of the kind for taking a sunny apartment in the Piazza di Spagna and dabbling about indefinitely in the Forum; and there, one morning, a charming youth came to me.
apartmentnounUS /əˈpɑːrtmənt/
a suite of rooms usually on one floor of an apartment house
From this reading At any rate, I’d found some pretext of the kind for taking a sunny apartment in the Piazza di Spagna and dabbling about indefinitely in the Forum; and there, one morning, a charming youth came to me.
apparitionnounUS /ˌæpərˈɪʃən/
a ghostly appearing figure
From this reading “The eyes had burned such a hole in my consciousness that for a long time I went on puzzling over the nature of the apparition, and wondering nervously if it would ever come back.
artauxiliary verbUS /ɑːrt/
an old form of “are”, used with “thou”
From this reading “The second year found me settled in Rome, where I was planning, I believe, to write another great book--a definitive work on Etruscan influences in Italian art.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading But as time passed I lost this dread, and retained only the precision of the image.
AtprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At any rate, I’d found some pretext of the kind for taking a sunny apartment in the Piazza di Spagna and dabbling about indefinitely in the Forum; and there, one morning, a charming youth came to me.
backadverbUS /bæk/
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading “The eyes had burned such a hole in my consciousness that for a long time I went on puzzling over the nature of the apparition, and wondering nervously if it would ever come back.
believeverbUS /bɪˈliːv/
accept as true; take to be true
From this reading “The second year found me settled in Rome, where I was planning, I believe, to write another great book--a definitive work on Etruscan influences in Italian art.
booknounUS /bʊk/
a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)
From this reading “The second year found me settled in Rome, where I was planning, I believe, to write another great book--a definitive work on Etruscan influences in Italian art.
burnedadjectiveUS /bɜːrnd/
treated by heating to a high temperature but below the melting or fusing point
From this reading “The eyes had burned such a hole in my consciousness that for a long time I went on puzzling over the nature of the apparition, and wondering nervously if it would ever come back.
ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But as time passed I lost this dread, and retained only the precision of the image.
cameverbUS /keɪm/
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading At any rate, I’d found some pretext of the kind for taking a sunny apartment in the Piazza di Spagna and dabbling about indefinitely in the Forum; and there, one morning, a charming youth came to me.
charmingadjectiveUS /ˈtʃɑːrmɪŋ/
pleasing or delighting
From this reading At any rate, I’d found some pretext of the kind for taking a sunny apartment in the Piazza di Spagna and dabbling about indefinitely in the Forum; and there, one morning, a charming youth came to me.
comeverbUS /kʌm/
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading “The eyes had burned such a hole in my consciousness that for a long time I went on puzzling over the nature of the apparition, and wondering nervously if it would ever come back.
consciousnessnounUS /ˈkɑːnʃəsnəs/
an alert cognitive state in which you are aware of yourself and your situation
From this reading “The eyes had burned such a hole in my consciousness that for a long time I went on puzzling over the nature of the apparition, and wondering nervously if it would ever come back.
dabblingverbUS /ˈdæbəlɪŋ/
-ing form of “dabble” — dip a foot or hand briefly into a liquid
From this reading At any rate, I’d found some pretext of the kind for taking a sunny apartment in the Piazza di Spagna and dabbling about indefinitely in the Forum; and there, one morning, a charming youth came to me.
definitiveadjectiveUS /dɪˈfɪnɪtɪv/
clearly defined or formulated
From this reading “The second year found me settled in Rome, where I was planning, I believe, to write another great book--a definitive work on Etruscan influences in Italian art.
di
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At any rate, I’d found some pretext of the kind for taking a sunny apartment in the Piazza di Spagna and dabbling about indefinitely in the Forum; and there, one morning, a charming youth came to me.
dreadnounUS /dred/
fearful expectation or anticipation
From this reading But as time passed I lost this dread, and retained only the precision of the image.
EtruscannounUS /ɪˈtrʌskən/
a native or inhabitant of ancient Etruria; the Etruscans influenced the Romans (who had suppressed them by about 200 BC)
From this reading “The second year found me settled in Rome, where I was planning, I believe, to write another great book--a definitive work on Etruscan influences in Italian art.
everadverbUS /ˈevər/
at any time
From this reading “The eyes had burned such a hole in my consciousness that for a long time I went on puzzling over the nature of the apparition, and wondering nervously if it would ever come back.
eyesnounUS /aɪz/
opinion or judgment
From this reading “The eyes had burned such a hole in my consciousness that for a long time I went on puzzling over the nature of the apparition, and wondering nervously if it would ever come back.
fadedadjectiveUS /ˈfeɪdəd/
having lost freshness or brilliance of color
From this reading Then that faded in its turn.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading “The eyes had burned such a hole in my consciousness that for a long time I went on puzzling over the nature of the apparition, and wondering nervously if it would ever come back.
ForumnounUS /ˈfɔːrəm/
a public meeting or assembly for open discussion
From this reading At any rate, I’d found some pretext of the kind for taking a sunny apartment in the Piazza di Spagna and dabbling about indefinitely in the Forum; and there, one morning, a charming youth came to me.
foundverbUS /faʊnd/
set up or found
From this reading “The second year found me settled in Rome, where I was planning, I believe, to write another great book--a definitive work on Etruscan influences in Italian art.
greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading “The second year found me settled in Rome, where I was planning, I believe, to write another great book--a definitive work on Etruscan influences in Italian art.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading “The eyes had burned such a hole in my consciousness that for a long time I went on puzzling over the nature of the apparition, and wondering nervously if it would ever come back.
holenounUS /hoʊl/
an opening into or through something
From this reading “The eyes had burned such a hole in my consciousness that for a long time I went on puzzling over the nature of the apparition, and wondering nervously if it would ever come back.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “The eyes had burned such a hole in my consciousness that for a long time I went on puzzling over the nature of the apparition, and wondering nervously if it would ever come back.
I'd
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At any rate, I’d found some pretext of the kind for taking a sunny apartment in the Piazza di Spagna and dabbling about indefinitely in the Forum; and there, one morning, a charming youth came to me.
ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading “The eyes had burned such a hole in my consciousness that for a long time I went on puzzling over the nature of the apparition, and wondering nervously if it would ever come back.
imagenounUS /ˈɪmədʒ/
an iconic mental representation
From this reading But as time passed I lost this dread, and retained only the precision of the image.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading “The eyes had burned such a hole in my consciousness that for a long time I went on puzzling over the nature of the apparition, and wondering nervously if it would ever come back.
indefinitelyadverbUS /ˌɪnˈdefənətli/
to an indefinite extent; for an indefinite time
From this reading At any rate, I’d found some pretext of the kind for taking a sunny apartment in the Piazza di Spagna and dabbling about indefinitely in the Forum; and there, one morning, a charming youth came to me.
influencesnounUS /ˈɪnfluːənsɪz/
plural of “influence” — a power to affect persons or events especially power based on prestige etc
From this reading “The second year found me settled in Rome, where I was planning, I believe, to write another great book--a definitive work on Etruscan influences in Italian art.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “The eyes had burned such a hole in my consciousness that for a long time I went on puzzling over the nature of the apparition, and wondering nervously if it would ever come back.
ItaliannounUS /ˌɪˈtæljən/
a native or inhabitant of Italy
From this reading “The second year found me settled in Rome, where I was planning, I believe, to write another great book--a definitive work on Etruscan influences in Italian art.
itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading Then that faded in its turn.
kindadjectiveUS /kaɪnd/
having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior
From this reading At any rate, I’d found some pretext of the kind for taking a sunny apartment in the Piazza di Spagna and dabbling about indefinitely in the Forum; and there, one morning, a charming youth came to me.
longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading “The eyes had burned such a hole in my consciousness that for a long time I went on puzzling over the nature of the apparition, and wondering nervously if it would ever come back.
lostadjectiveUS /lɔːst/
no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered
From this reading But as time passed I lost this dread, and retained only the precision of the image.
mepronounUS /miː/
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “The second year found me settled in Rome, where I was planning, I believe, to write another great book--a definitive work on Etruscan influences in Italian art.
morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading At any rate, I’d found some pretext of the kind for taking a sunny apartment in the Piazza di Spagna and dabbling about indefinitely in the Forum; and there, one morning, a charming youth came to me.
mydeterminerUS /maɪ/
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading “The eyes had burned such a hole in my consciousness that for a long time I went on puzzling over the nature of the apparition, and wondering nervously if it would ever come back.
naturenounUS /ˈneɪtʃər/
the essential qualities or characteristics by which something is recognized
From this reading “The eyes had burned such a hole in my consciousness that for a long time I went on puzzling over the nature of the apparition, and wondering nervously if it would ever come back.
nervouslyadverbUS /ˈnɜːrvəsli/
in an anxiously nervous manner
From this reading “The eyes had burned such a hole in my consciousness that for a long time I went on puzzling over the nature of the apparition, and wondering nervously if it would ever come back.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “The eyes had burned such a hole in my consciousness that for a long time I went on puzzling over the nature of the apparition, and wondering nervously if it would ever come back.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading “The eyes had burned such a hole in my consciousness that for a long time I went on puzzling over the nature of the apparition, and wondering nervously if it would ever come back.
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading At any rate, I’d found some pretext of the kind for taking a sunny apartment in the Piazza di Spagna and dabbling about indefinitely in the Forum; and there, one morning, a charming youth came to me.
onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/
and nothing more
From this reading But as time passed I lost this dread, and retained only the precision of the image.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading “The eyes had burned such a hole in my consciousness that for a long time I went on puzzling over the nature of the apparition, and wondering nervously if it would ever come back.
passedverbUS /pæst/
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading But as time passed I lost this dread, and retained only the precision of the image.
PiazzanounUS /piˈæzə/
a public square with room for pedestrians
From this reading At any rate, I’d found some pretext of the kind for taking a sunny apartment in the Piazza di Spagna and dabbling about indefinitely in the Forum; and there, one morning, a charming youth came to me.
planningnounUS /ˈplænɪŋ/
an act of formulating a program for a definite course of action
From this reading “The second year found me settled in Rome, where I was planning, I believe, to write another great book--a definitive work on Etruscan influences in Italian art.
precisionnounUS /priˈsɪʒən/
the quality of being reproducible in amount or performance
From this reading But as time passed I lost this dread, and retained only the precision of the image.
pretextnounUS /ˈpriːtekst/
something serving to conceal plans; a fictitious reason that is concocted in order to conceal the real reason
From this reading At any rate, I’d found some pretext of the kind for taking a sunny apartment in the Piazza di Spagna and dabbling about indefinitely in the Forum; and there, one morning, a charming youth came to me.
puzzlingadjectiveUS /ˈpʌzəlɪŋ/
not clear to the understanding
From this reading “The eyes had burned such a hole in my consciousness that for a long time I went on puzzling over the nature of the apparition, and wondering nervously if it would ever come back.
ratenounUS /reɪt/
a magnitude or frequency relative to a time unit
From this reading At any rate, I’d found some pretext of the kind for taking a sunny apartment in the Piazza di Spagna and dabbling about indefinitely in the Forum; and there, one morning, a charming youth came to me.
retainedadjectiveUS /rɪˈteɪnd/
continued in your keeping or use or memory
From this reading But as time passed I lost this dread, and retained only the precision of the image.
RomenounUS /roʊm/
capital and largest city of Italy; on the Tiber; seat of the Roman Catholic Church; formerly the capital of the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire
From this reading “The second year found me settled in Rome, where I was planning, I believe, to write another great book--a definitive work on Etruscan influences in Italian art.
secondnounUS /ˈsekənd/
1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading “The second year found me settled in Rome, where I was planning, I believe, to write another great book--a definitive work on Etruscan influences in Italian art.
settledadjectiveUS /ˈsetəld/
established or decided beyond dispute or doubt
From this reading “The second year found me settled in Rome, where I was planning, I believe, to write another great book--a definitive work on Etruscan influences in Italian art.
someadjectiveUS /sʌm/
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading At any rate, I’d found some pretext of the kind for taking a sunny apartment in the Piazza di Spagna and dabbling about indefinitely in the Forum; and there, one morning, a charming youth came to me.
Spagna
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At any rate, I’d found some pretext of the kind for taking a sunny apartment in the Piazza di Spagna and dabbling about indefinitely in the Forum; and there, one morning, a charming youth came to me.
suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading “The eyes had burned such a hole in my consciousness that for a long time I went on puzzling over the nature of the apparition, and wondering nervously if it would ever come back.
sunnyadjectiveUS /ˈsʌni/
bright and pleasant; promoting a feeling of cheer
From this reading At any rate, I’d found some pretext of the kind for taking a sunny apartment in the Piazza di Spagna and dabbling about indefinitely in the Forum; and there, one morning, a charming youth came to me.
takingnounUS /ˈteɪkɪŋ/
the act of someone who picks up or takes something
From this reading At any rate, I’d found some pretext of the kind for taking a sunny apartment in the Piazza di Spagna and dabbling about indefinitely in the Forum; and there, one morning, a charming youth came to me.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading “The eyes had burned such a hole in my consciousness that for a long time I went on puzzling over the nature of the apparition, and wondering nervously if it would ever come back.
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “The eyes had burned such a hole in my consciousness that for a long time I went on puzzling over the nature of the apparition, and wondering nervously if it would ever come back.
ThenadverbUS /ðen/
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then that faded in its turn.
thereadverbUS /ðer/
in or at that place or location
From this reading At any rate, I’d found some pretext of the kind for taking a sunny apartment in the Piazza di Spagna and dabbling about indefinitely in the Forum; and there, one morning, a charming youth came to me.
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading But as time passed I lost this dread, and retained only the precision of the image.
timenounUS /taɪm/
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading “The eyes had burned such a hole in my consciousness that for a long time I went on puzzling over the nature of the apparition, and wondering nervously if it would ever come back.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “The second year found me settled in Rome, where I was planning, I believe, to write another great book--a definitive work on Etruscan influences in Italian art.
turnverbUS /tɜːrn/
change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense
From this reading Then that faded in its turn.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “The second year found me settled in Rome, where I was planning, I believe, to write another great book--a definitive work on Etruscan influences in Italian art.
wentverbUS /went/
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading “The eyes had burned such a hole in my consciousness that for a long time I went on puzzling over the nature of the apparition, and wondering nervously if it would ever come back.
whereconjunctionUS /wer/
in or at the place that
From this reading “The second year found me settled in Rome, where I was planning, I believe, to write another great book--a definitive work on Etruscan influences in Italian art.
wonderingadjectiveUS /ˈwʌndərɪŋ/
showing curiosity
From this reading “The eyes had burned such a hole in my consciousness that for a long time I went on puzzling over the nature of the apparition, and wondering nervously if it would ever come back.
workverbUS /wɜːrk/
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading “The second year found me settled in Rome, where I was planning, I believe, to write another great book--a definitive work on Etruscan influences in Italian art.
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading “The eyes had burned such a hole in my consciousness that for a long time I went on puzzling over the nature of the apparition, and wondering nervously if it would ever come back.
writeverbUS /raɪt/
produce a literary work
From this reading “The second year found me settled in Rome, where I was planning, I believe, to write another great book--a definitive work on Etruscan influences in Italian art.
yearnounUS /jɪr/
a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days
From this reading “The second year found me settled in Rome, where I was planning, I believe, to write another great book--a definitive work on Etruscan influences in Italian art.
youthnounUS /juːθ/
a young person (especially a young man or boy)
From this reading At any rate, I’d found some pretext of the kind for taking a sunny apartment in the Piazza di Spagna and dabbling about indefinitely in the Forum; and there, one morning, a charming youth came to me.
