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 When ladies were at home to their intimates in the Paris of the ’forties, they seated their guests about large round tables with a view to that common exchange of wit and fancy which is the French ideal.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading When ladies were at home to their intimates in the Paris of the ’forties, they seated their guests about large round tables with a view to that common exchange of wit and fancy which is the French ideal.
Adam
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From this reading In that beautiful room, softly lit by wax candles, her guests were free to follow their bent, to fall into groups, or to admire at their ease the Watteaus and Bouchers which the Princess’s father-in-law, old Prince Adam, had restored to their native panels.
admire
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From this reading In that beautiful room, softly lit by wax candles, her guests were free to follow their bent, to fall into groups, or to admire at their ease the Watteaus and Bouchers which the Princess’s father-in-law, old Prince Adam, had restored to their native panels.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading When ladies were at home to their intimates in the Paris of the ’forties, they seated their guests about large round tables with a view to that common exchange of wit and fancy which is the French ideal.
arm-chair
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From this reading But when the Princess Czartoriski entertained in the Hôtel Lambert, under the ceiling painted by Lebrun, which had looked down on the arm-chair of Madame de Châtelet and the tabouret of Voltaire, she was, as became a Pole, a law to herself.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading But when the Princess Czartoriski entertained in the Hôtel Lambert, under the ceiling painted by Lebrun, which had looked down on the arm-chair of Madame de Châtelet and the tabouret of Voltaire, she was, as became a Pole, a law to herself.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading When ladies were at home to their intimates in the Paris of the ’forties, they seated their guests about large round tables with a view to that common exchange of wit and fancy which is the French ideal.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading The mode crossed to England, and in many houses these round tables, fallen to the uses of the dining-room or the nursery, may still be seen.
beautiful
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From this reading In that beautiful room, softly lit by wax candles, her guests were free to follow their bent, to fall into groups, or to admire at their ease the Watteaus and Bouchers which the Princess’s father-in-law, old Prince Adam, had restored to their native panels.
became
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From this reading But when the Princess Czartoriski entertained in the Hôtel Lambert, under the ceiling painted by Lebrun, which had looked down on the arm-chair of Madame de Châtelet and the tabouret of Voltaire, she was, as became a Pole, a law to herself.
bent
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From this reading In that beautiful room, softly lit by wax candles, her guests were free to follow their bent, to fall into groups, or to admire at their ease the Watteaus and Bouchers which the Princess’s father-in-law, old Prince Adam, had restored to their native panels.
Bouchers
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From this reading In that beautiful room, softly lit by wax candles, her guests were free to follow their bent, to fall into groups, or to admire at their ease the Watteaus and Bouchers which the Princess’s father-in-law, old Prince Adam, had restored to their native panels.
ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But when the Princess Czartoriski entertained in the Hôtel Lambert, under the ceiling painted by Lebrun, which had looked down on the arm-chair of Madame de Châtelet and the tabouret of Voltaire, she was, as became a Pole, a law to herself.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading But when the Princess Czartoriski entertained in the Hôtel Lambert, under the ceiling painted by Lebrun, which had looked down on the arm-chair of Madame de Châtelet and the tabouret of Voltaire, she was, as became a Pole, a law to herself.
candles
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From this reading In that beautiful room, softly lit by wax candles, her guests were free to follow their bent, to fall into groups, or to admire at their ease the Watteaus and Bouchers which the Princess’s father-in-law, old Prince Adam, had restored to their native panels.
ceiling
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From this reading But when the Princess Czartoriski entertained in the Hôtel Lambert, under the ceiling painted by Lebrun, which had looked down on the arm-chair of Madame de Châtelet and the tabouret of Voltaire, she was, as became a Pole, a law to herself.
Châtelet
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From this reading But when the Princess Czartoriski entertained in the Hôtel Lambert, under the ceiling painted by Lebrun, which had looked down on the arm-chair of Madame de Châtelet and the tabouret of Voltaire, she was, as became a Pole, a law to herself.
common
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From this reading When ladies were at home to their intimates in the Paris of the ’forties, they seated their guests about large round tables with a view to that common exchange of wit and fancy which is the French ideal.
crossed
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From this reading The mode crossed to England, and in many houses these round tables, fallen to the uses of the dining-room or the nursery, may still be seen.
Czartoriski
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From this reading But when the Princess Czartoriski entertained in the Hôtel Lambert, under the ceiling painted by Lebrun, which had looked down on the arm-chair of Madame de Châtelet and the tabouret of Voltaire, she was, as became a Pole, a law to herself.
de
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From this reading But when the Princess Czartoriski entertained in the Hôtel Lambert, under the ceiling painted by Lebrun, which had looked down on the arm-chair of Madame de Châtelet and the tabouret of Voltaire, she was, as became a Pole, a law to herself.
dining-room
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From this reading The mode crossed to England, and in many houses these round tables, fallen to the uses of the dining-room or the nursery, may still be seen.
down
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From this reading But when the Princess Czartoriski entertained in the Hôtel Lambert, under the ceiling painted by Lebrun, which had looked down on the arm-chair of Madame de Châtelet and the tabouret of Voltaire, she was, as became a Pole, a law to herself.
ease
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From this reading In that beautiful room, softly lit by wax candles, her guests were free to follow their bent, to fall into groups, or to admire at their ease the Watteaus and Bouchers which the Princess’s father-in-law, old Prince Adam, had restored to their native panels.
England
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From this reading The mode crossed to England, and in many houses these round tables, fallen to the uses of the dining-room or the nursery, may still be seen.
entertained
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From this reading But when the Princess Czartoriski entertained in the Hôtel Lambert, under the ceiling painted by Lebrun, which had looked down on the arm-chair of Madame de Châtelet and the tabouret of Voltaire, she was, as became a Pole, a law to herself.
evening
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From this reading Thanks to his taste and under her rule the gallery of Hercules presented on this evening a scene not unworthy of its past.
exchange
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From this reading When ladies were at home to their intimates in the Paris of the ’forties, they seated their guests about large round tables with a view to that common exchange of wit and fancy which is the French ideal.
fall
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From this reading In that beautiful room, softly lit by wax candles, her guests were free to follow their bent, to fall into groups, or to admire at their ease the Watteaus and Bouchers which the Princess’s father-in-law, old Prince Adam, had restored to their native panels.
fallen
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The mode crossed to England, and in many houses these round tables, fallen to the uses of the dining-room or the nursery, may still be seen.
fancy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When ladies were at home to their intimates in the Paris of the ’forties, they seated their guests about large round tables with a view to that common exchange of wit and fancy which is the French ideal.
father-in-law
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In that beautiful room, softly lit by wax candles, her guests were free to follow their bent, to fall into groups, or to admire at their ease the Watteaus and Bouchers which the Princess’s father-in-law, old Prince Adam, had restored to their native panels.
follow
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In that beautiful room, softly lit by wax candles, her guests were free to follow their bent, to fall into groups, or to admire at their ease the Watteaus and Bouchers which the Princess’s father-in-law, old Prince Adam, had restored to their native panels.
forties
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From this reading When ladies were at home to their intimates in the Paris of the ’forties, they seated their guests about large round tables with a view to that common exchange of wit and fancy which is the French ideal.
freeadjectiveUS /friː/
acting without enough restraint or discipline
From this reading In that beautiful room, softly lit by wax candles, her guests were free to follow their bent, to fall into groups, or to admire at their ease the Watteaus and Bouchers which the Princess’s father-in-law, old Prince Adam, had restored to their native panels.
French
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From this reading When ladies were at home to their intimates in the Paris of the ’forties, they seated their guests about large round tables with a view to that common exchange of wit and fancy which is the French ideal.
gallery
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From this reading Thanks to his taste and under her rule the gallery of Hercules presented on this evening a scene not unworthy of its past.
groups
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From this reading In that beautiful room, softly lit by wax candles, her guests were free to follow their bent, to fall into groups, or to admire at their ease the Watteaus and Bouchers which the Princess’s father-in-law, old Prince Adam, had restored to their native panels.
guests
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When ladies were at home to their intimates in the Paris of the ’forties, they seated their guests about large round tables with a view to that common exchange of wit and fancy which is the French ideal.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading But when the Princess Czartoriski entertained in the Hôtel Lambert, under the ceiling painted by Lebrun, which had looked down on the arm-chair of Madame de Châtelet and the tabouret of Voltaire, she was, as became a Pole, a law to herself.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading In that beautiful room, softly lit by wax candles, her guests were free to follow their bent, to fall into groups, or to admire at their ease the Watteaus and Bouchers which the Princess’s father-in-law, old Prince Adam, had restored to their native panels.
Hercules
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From this reading Thanks to his taste and under her rule the gallery of Hercules presented on this evening a scene not unworthy of its past.
herselfpronounUS /hərˈself/
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading But when the Princess Czartoriski entertained in the Hôtel Lambert, under the ceiling painted by Lebrun, which had looked down on the arm-chair of Madame de Châtelet and the tabouret of Voltaire, she was, as became a Pole, a law to herself.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Thanks to his taste and under her rule the gallery of Hercules presented on this evening a scene not unworthy of its past.
home
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From this reading When ladies were at home to their intimates in the Paris of the ’forties, they seated their guests about large round tables with a view to that common exchange of wit and fancy which is the French ideal.
houses
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The mode crossed to England, and in many houses these round tables, fallen to the uses of the dining-room or the nursery, may still be seen.
Hôtel
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But when the Princess Czartoriski entertained in the Hôtel Lambert, under the ceiling painted by Lebrun, which had looked down on the arm-chair of Madame de Châtelet and the tabouret of Voltaire, she was, as became a Pole, a law to herself.
ideal
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When ladies were at home to their intimates in the Paris of the ’forties, they seated their guests about large round tables with a view to that common exchange of wit and fancy which is the French ideal.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading When ladies were at home to their intimates in the Paris of the ’forties, they seated their guests about large round tables with a view to that common exchange of wit and fancy which is the French ideal.
intimates
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When ladies were at home to their intimates in the Paris of the ’forties, they seated their guests about large round tables with a view to that common exchange of wit and fancy which is the French ideal.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading In that beautiful room, softly lit by wax candles, her guests were free to follow their bent, to fall into groups, or to admire at their ease the Watteaus and Bouchers which the Princess’s father-in-law, old Prince Adam, had restored to their native panels.
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading When ladies were at home to their intimates in the Paris of the ’forties, they seated their guests about large round tables with a view to that common exchange of wit and fancy which is the French ideal.
itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading Thanks to his taste and under her rule the gallery of Hercules presented on this evening a scene not unworthy of its past.
ladies
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When ladies were at home to their intimates in the Paris of the ’forties, they seated their guests about large round tables with a view to that common exchange of wit and fancy which is the French ideal.
Lambert
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But when the Princess Czartoriski entertained in the Hôtel Lambert, under the ceiling painted by Lebrun, which had looked down on the arm-chair of Madame de Châtelet and the tabouret of Voltaire, she was, as became a Pole, a law to herself.
large
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When ladies were at home to their intimates in the Paris of the ’forties, they seated their guests about large round tables with a view to that common exchange of wit and fancy which is the French ideal.
law
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From this reading But when the Princess Czartoriski entertained in the Hôtel Lambert, under the ceiling painted by Lebrun, which had looked down on the arm-chair of Madame de Châtelet and the tabouret of Voltaire, she was, as became a Pole, a law to herself.
Lebrun
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From this reading But when the Princess Czartoriski entertained in the Hôtel Lambert, under the ceiling painted by Lebrun, which had looked down on the arm-chair of Madame de Châtelet and the tabouret of Voltaire, she was, as became a Pole, a law to herself.
lit
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In that beautiful room, softly lit by wax candles, her guests were free to follow their bent, to fall into groups, or to admire at their ease the Watteaus and Bouchers which the Princess’s father-in-law, old Prince Adam, had restored to their native panels.
lookednounUS /looked/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading But when the Princess Czartoriski entertained in the Hôtel Lambert, under the ceiling painted by Lebrun, which had looked down on the arm-chair of Madame de Châtelet and the tabouret of Voltaire, she was, as became a Pole, a law to herself.
Madame
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But when the Princess Czartoriski entertained in the Hôtel Lambert, under the ceiling painted by Lebrun, which had looked down on the arm-chair of Madame de Châtelet and the tabouret of Voltaire, she was, as became a Pole, a law to herself.
many
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From this reading The mode crossed to England, and in many houses these round tables, fallen to the uses of the dining-room or the nursery, may still be seen.
maymodal verbUS /meɪ/
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading The mode crossed to England, and in many houses these round tables, fallen to the uses of the dining-room or the nursery, may still be seen.
mode
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The mode crossed to England, and in many houses these round tables, fallen to the uses of the dining-room or the nursery, may still be seen.
native
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In that beautiful room, softly lit by wax candles, her guests were free to follow their bent, to fall into groups, or to admire at their ease the Watteaus and Bouchers which the Princess’s father-in-law, old Prince Adam, had restored to their native panels.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Thanks to his taste and under her rule the gallery of Hercules presented on this evening a scene not unworthy of its past.
nursery
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The mode crossed to England, and in many houses these round tables, fallen to the uses of the dining-room or the nursery, may still be seen.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading When ladies were at home to their intimates in the Paris of the ’forties, they seated their guests about large round tables with a view to that common exchange of wit and fancy which is the French ideal.
old
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In that beautiful room, softly lit by wax candles, her guests were free to follow their bent, to fall into groups, or to admire at their ease the Watteaus and Bouchers which the Princess’s father-in-law, old Prince Adam, had restored to their native panels.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading But when the Princess Czartoriski entertained in the Hôtel Lambert, under the ceiling painted by Lebrun, which had looked down on the arm-chair of Madame de Châtelet and the tabouret of Voltaire, she was, as became a Pole, a law to herself.
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading The mode crossed to England, and in many houses these round tables, fallen to the uses of the dining-room or the nursery, may still be seen.
painted
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But when the Princess Czartoriski entertained in the Hôtel Lambert, under the ceiling painted by Lebrun, which had looked down on the arm-chair of Madame de Châtelet and the tabouret of Voltaire, she was, as became a Pole, a law to herself.
panels
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In that beautiful room, softly lit by wax candles, her guests were free to follow their bent, to fall into groups, or to admire at their ease the Watteaus and Bouchers which the Princess’s father-in-law, old Prince Adam, had restored to their native panels.
Paris
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When ladies were at home to their intimates in the Paris of the ’forties, they seated their guests about large round tables with a view to that common exchange of wit and fancy which is the French ideal.
past
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From this reading Thanks to his taste and under her rule the gallery of Hercules presented on this evening a scene not unworthy of its past.
Pole
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From this reading But when the Princess Czartoriski entertained in the Hôtel Lambert, under the ceiling painted by Lebrun, which had looked down on the arm-chair of Madame de Châtelet and the tabouret of Voltaire, she was, as became a Pole, a law to herself.
presented
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Thanks to his taste and under her rule the gallery of Hercules presented on this evening a scene not unworthy of its past.
Prince
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In that beautiful room, softly lit by wax candles, her guests were free to follow their bent, to fall into groups, or to admire at their ease the Watteaus and Bouchers which the Princess’s father-in-law, old Prince Adam, had restored to their native panels.
PrincessnounUS /ˈprɪn.ses/
The daughter of a monarch; a female member of a royal family.
From this reading But when the Princess Czartoriski entertained in the Hôtel Lambert, under the ceiling painted by Lebrun, which had looked down on the arm-chair of Madame de Châtelet and the tabouret of Voltaire, she was, as became a Pole, a law to herself.
Princess's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In that beautiful room, softly lit by wax candles, her guests were free to follow their bent, to fall into groups, or to admire at their ease the Watteaus and Bouchers which the Princess’s father-in-law, old Prince Adam, had restored to their native panels.
restored
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In that beautiful room, softly lit by wax candles, her guests were free to follow their bent, to fall into groups, or to admire at their ease the Watteaus and Bouchers which the Princess’s father-in-law, old Prince Adam, had restored to their native panels.
room
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In that beautiful room, softly lit by wax candles, her guests were free to follow their bent, to fall into groups, or to admire at their ease the Watteaus and Bouchers which the Princess’s father-in-law, old Prince Adam, had restored to their native panels.
round
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When ladies were at home to their intimates in the Paris of the ’forties, they seated their guests about large round tables with a view to that common exchange of wit and fancy which is the French ideal.
rule
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Thanks to his taste and under her rule the gallery of Hercules presented on this evening a scene not unworthy of its past.
scene
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Thanks to his taste and under her rule the gallery of Hercules presented on this evening a scene not unworthy of its past.
seated
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When ladies were at home to their intimates in the Paris of the ’forties, they seated their guests about large round tables with a view to that common exchange of wit and fancy which is the French ideal.
seen
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The mode crossed to England, and in many houses these round tables, fallen to the uses of the dining-room or the nursery, may still be seen.
shepronounUS /ʃiː/
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading But when the Princess Czartoriski entertained in the Hôtel Lambert, under the ceiling painted by Lebrun, which had looked down on the arm-chair of Madame de Châtelet and the tabouret of Voltaire, she was, as became a Pole, a law to herself.
softly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In that beautiful room, softly lit by wax candles, her guests were free to follow their bent, to fall into groups, or to admire at their ease the Watteaus and Bouchers which the Princess’s father-in-law, old Prince Adam, had restored to their native panels.
stillnounUS /still/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The mode crossed to England, and in many houses these round tables, fallen to the uses of the dining-room or the nursery, may still be seen.
tables
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When ladies were at home to their intimates in the Paris of the ’forties, they seated their guests about large round tables with a view to that common exchange of wit and fancy which is the French ideal.
tabouret
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But when the Princess Czartoriski entertained in the Hôtel Lambert, under the ceiling painted by Lebrun, which had looked down on the arm-chair of Madame de Châtelet and the tabouret of Voltaire, she was, as became a Pole, a law to herself.
tasteverbUS /teɪst/
To perceive flavor through the mouth.
From this reading Thanks to his taste and under her rule the gallery of Hercules presented on this evening a scene not unworthy of its past.
Thanks
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Thanks to his taste and under her rule the gallery of Hercules presented on this evening a scene not unworthy of its past.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading When ladies were at home to their intimates in the Paris of the ’forties, they seated their guests about large round tables with a view to that common exchange of wit and fancy which is the French ideal.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading When ladies were at home to their intimates in the Paris of the ’forties, they seated their guests about large round tables with a view to that common exchange of wit and fancy which is the French ideal.
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading When ladies were at home to their intimates in the Paris of the ’forties, they seated their guests about large round tables with a view to that common exchange of wit and fancy which is the French ideal.
thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading The mode crossed to England, and in many houses these round tables, fallen to the uses of the dining-room or the nursery, may still be seen.
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading When ladies were at home to their intimates in the Paris of the ’forties, they seated their guests about large round tables with a view to that common exchange of wit and fancy which is the French ideal.
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Thanks to his taste and under her rule the gallery of Hercules presented on this evening a scene not unworthy of its past.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading When ladies were at home to their intimates in the Paris of the ’forties, they seated their guests about large round tables with a view to that common exchange of wit and fancy which is the French ideal.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading But when the Princess Czartoriski entertained in the Hôtel Lambert, under the ceiling painted by Lebrun, which had looked down on the arm-chair of Madame de Châtelet and the tabouret of Voltaire, she was, as became a Pole, a law to herself.
unworthy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Thanks to his taste and under her rule the gallery of Hercules presented on this evening a scene not unworthy of its past.
uses
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The mode crossed to England, and in many houses these round tables, fallen to the uses of the dining-room or the nursery, may still be seen.
view
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When ladies were at home to their intimates in the Paris of the ’forties, they seated their guests about large round tables with a view to that common exchange of wit and fancy which is the French ideal.
Voltaire
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But when the Princess Czartoriski entertained in the Hôtel Lambert, under the ceiling painted by Lebrun, which had looked down on the arm-chair of Madame de Châtelet and the tabouret of Voltaire, she was, as became a Pole, a law to herself.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading But when the Princess Czartoriski entertained in the Hôtel Lambert, under the ceiling painted by Lebrun, which had looked down on the arm-chair of Madame de Châtelet and the tabouret of Voltaire, she was, as became a Pole, a law to herself.
Watteaus
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In that beautiful room, softly lit by wax candles, her guests were free to follow their bent, to fall into groups, or to admire at their ease the Watteaus and Bouchers which the Princess’s father-in-law, old Prince Adam, had restored to their native panels.
wax
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In that beautiful room, softly lit by wax candles, her guests were free to follow their bent, to fall into groups, or to admire at their ease the Watteaus and Bouchers which the Princess’s father-in-law, old Prince Adam, had restored to their native panels.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading When ladies were at home to their intimates in the Paris of the ’forties, they seated their guests about large round tables with a view to that common exchange of wit and fancy which is the French ideal.
WhenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading When ladies were at home to their intimates in the Paris of the ’forties, they seated their guests about large round tables with a view to that common exchange of wit and fancy which is the French ideal.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading When ladies were at home to their intimates in the Paris of the ’forties, they seated their guests about large round tables with a view to that common exchange of wit and fancy which is the French ideal.
wit
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When ladies were at home to their intimates in the Paris of the ’forties, they seated their guests about large round tables with a view to that common exchange of wit and fancy which is the French ideal.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading When ladies were at home to their intimates in the Paris of the ’forties, they seated their guests about large round tables with a view to that common exchange of wit and fancy which is the French ideal.
