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 Yes, it had been made by hands, and hollowed partly out of a great rock.
acanthus
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As the Corinthian capital mimics the leaf of the acanthus, so the capitals of these columns imitated the foliage of the vegetation neighbouring them, some aloe-like, some fern-like.
allows
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was fronted by huge columns, tapering upward from massive plinths, and with capitals that, as I came nearer, I perceived to be more ornamental and more fantastically graceful that Egyptian architecture allows.
aloe-like
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As the Corinthian capital mimics the leaf of the acanthus, so the capitals of these columns imitated the foliage of the vegetation neighbouring them, some aloe-like, some fern-like.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Yes, it had been made by hands, and hollowed partly out of a great rock.
architecture
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I should have supposed it at the first glance to have been of the earliest form of Egyptian architecture.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading It was fronted by huge columns, tapering upward from massive plinths, and with capitals that, as I came nearer, I perceived to be more ornamental and more fantastically graceful that Egyptian architecture allows.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading I should have supposed it at the first glance to have been of the earliest form of Egyptian architecture.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading It was fronted by huge columns, tapering upward from massive plinths, and with capitals that, as I came nearer, I perceived to be more ornamental and more fantastically graceful that Egyptian architecture allows.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Yes, it had been made by hands, and hollowed partly out of a great rock.
building
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I now came in full sight of the building.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Yes, it had been made by hands, and hollowed partly out of a great rock.
came
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I now came in full sight of the building.
capital
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As the Corinthian capital mimics the leaf of the acanthus, so the capitals of these columns imitated the foliage of the vegetation neighbouring them, some aloe-like, some fern-like.
capitals
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was fronted by huge columns, tapering upward from massive plinths, and with capitals that, as I came nearer, I perceived to be more ornamental and more fantastically graceful that Egyptian architecture allows.
columns
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was fronted by huge columns, tapering upward from massive plinths, and with capitals that, as I came nearer, I perceived to be more ornamental and more fantastically graceful that Egyptian architecture allows.
Corinthian
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As the Corinthian capital mimics the leaf of the acanthus, so the capitals of these columns imitated the foliage of the vegetation neighbouring them, some aloe-like, some fern-like.
earliest
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I should have supposed it at the first glance to have been of the earliest form of Egyptian architecture.
Egyptian
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I should have supposed it at the first glance to have been of the earliest form of Egyptian architecture.
fantastically
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was fronted by huge columns, tapering upward from massive plinths, and with capitals that, as I came nearer, I perceived to be more ornamental and more fantastically graceful that Egyptian architecture allows.
fern-like
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As the Corinthian capital mimics the leaf of the acanthus, so the capitals of these columns imitated the foliage of the vegetation neighbouring them, some aloe-like, some fern-like.
firstnounUS /first/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading I should have supposed it at the first glance to have been of the earliest form of Egyptian architecture.
foliage
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As the Corinthian capital mimics the leaf of the acanthus, so the capitals of these columns imitated the foliage of the vegetation neighbouring them, some aloe-like, some fern-like.
form
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I should have supposed it at the first glance to have been of the earliest form of Egyptian architecture.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading It was fronted by huge columns, tapering upward from massive plinths, and with capitals that, as I came nearer, I perceived to be more ornamental and more fantastically graceful that Egyptian architecture allows.
frontedverbUS /ˈfrʌntɪd/
stood facing someone or something
From this reading It was fronted by huge columns, tapering upward from massive plinths, and with capitals that, as I came nearer, I perceived to be more ornamental and more fantastically graceful that Egyptian architecture allows.
full
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I now came in full sight of the building.
glance
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I should have supposed it at the first glance to have been of the earliest form of Egyptian architecture.
graceful
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was fronted by huge columns, tapering upward from massive plinths, and with capitals that, as I came nearer, I perceived to be more ornamental and more fantastically graceful that Egyptian architecture allows.
greatnounUS /great/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Yes, it had been made by hands, and hollowed partly out of a great rock.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Yes, it had been made by hands, and hollowed partly out of a great rock.
handsplural nounUS /hændz/
members of a ship’s crew
From this reading Yes, it had been made by hands, and hollowed partly out of a great rock.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading I should have supposed it at the first glance to have been of the earliest form of Egyptian architecture.
hollowed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Yes, it had been made by hands, and hollowed partly out of a great rock.
huge
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was fronted by huge columns, tapering upward from massive plinths, and with capitals that, as I came nearer, I perceived to be more ornamental and more fantastically graceful that Egyptian architecture allows.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I now came in full sight of the building.
imitated
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As the Corinthian capital mimics the leaf of the acanthus, so the capitals of these columns imitated the foliage of the vegetation neighbouring them, some aloe-like, some fern-like.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading I now came in full sight of the building.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Yes, it had been made by hands, and hollowed partly out of a great rock.
leaf
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As the Corinthian capital mimics the leaf of the acanthus, so the capitals of these columns imitated the foliage of the vegetation neighbouring them, some aloe-like, some fern-like.
made
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Yes, it had been made by hands, and hollowed partly out of a great rock.
massive
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was fronted by huge columns, tapering upward from massive plinths, and with capitals that, as I came nearer, I perceived to be more ornamental and more fantastically graceful that Egyptian architecture allows.
mimics
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As the Corinthian capital mimics the leaf of the acanthus, so the capitals of these columns imitated the foliage of the vegetation neighbouring them, some aloe-like, some fern-like.
more
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was fronted by huge columns, tapering upward from massive plinths, and with capitals that, as I came nearer, I perceived to be more ornamental and more fantastically graceful that Egyptian architecture allows.
nearer
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was fronted by huge columns, tapering upward from massive plinths, and with capitals that, as I came nearer, I perceived to be more ornamental and more fantastically graceful that Egyptian architecture allows.
neighbouring
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As the Corinthian capital mimics the leaf of the acanthus, so the capitals of these columns imitated the foliage of the vegetation neighbouring them, some aloe-like, some fern-like.
now
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I now came in full sight of the building.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading I now came in full sight of the building.
ornamental
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was fronted by huge columns, tapering upward from massive plinths, and with capitals that, as I came nearer, I perceived to be more ornamental and more fantastically graceful that Egyptian architecture allows.
out
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Yes, it had been made by hands, and hollowed partly out of a great rock.
partly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Yes, it had been made by hands, and hollowed partly out of a great rock.
perceived
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was fronted by huge columns, tapering upward from massive plinths, and with capitals that, as I came nearer, I perceived to be more ornamental and more fantastically graceful that Egyptian architecture allows.
plinths
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was fronted by huge columns, tapering upward from massive plinths, and with capitals that, as I came nearer, I perceived to be more ornamental and more fantastically graceful that Egyptian architecture allows.
rock
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Yes, it had been made by hands, and hollowed partly out of a great rock.
shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading I should have supposed it at the first glance to have been of the earliest form of Egyptian architecture.
sight
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I now came in full sight of the building.
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading As the Corinthian capital mimics the leaf of the acanthus, so the capitals of these columns imitated the foliage of the vegetation neighbouring them, some aloe-like, some fern-like.
some
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As the Corinthian capital mimics the leaf of the acanthus, so the capitals of these columns imitated the foliage of the vegetation neighbouring them, some aloe-like, some fern-like.
supposed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I should have supposed it at the first glance to have been of the earliest form of Egyptian architecture.
tapering
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was fronted by huge columns, tapering upward from massive plinths, and with capitals that, as I came nearer, I perceived to be more ornamental and more fantastically graceful that Egyptian architecture allows.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It was fronted by huge columns, tapering upward from massive plinths, and with capitals that, as I came nearer, I perceived to be more ornamental and more fantastically graceful that Egyptian architecture allows.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I now came in full sight of the building.
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading As the Corinthian capital mimics the leaf of the acanthus, so the capitals of these columns imitated the foliage of the vegetation neighbouring them, some aloe-like, some fern-like.
thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading As the Corinthian capital mimics the leaf of the acanthus, so the capitals of these columns imitated the foliage of the vegetation neighbouring them, some aloe-like, some fern-like.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I should have supposed it at the first glance to have been of the earliest form of Egyptian architecture.
upward
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was fronted by huge columns, tapering upward from massive plinths, and with capitals that, as I came nearer, I perceived to be more ornamental and more fantastically graceful that Egyptian architecture allows.
vegetation
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As the Corinthian capital mimics the leaf of the acanthus, so the capitals of these columns imitated the foliage of the vegetation neighbouring them, some aloe-like, some fern-like.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was fronted by huge columns, tapering upward from massive plinths, and with capitals that, as I came nearer, I perceived to be more ornamental and more fantastically graceful that Egyptian architecture allows.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading It was fronted by huge columns, tapering upward from massive plinths, and with capitals that, as I came nearer, I perceived to be more ornamental and more fantastically graceful that Egyptian architecture allows.
Yes
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Yes, it had been made by hands, and hollowed partly out of a great rock.
