adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading That evening, on his return to the manse, Manse Bell handed him, with a fine affectation of unconcern, a letter with the Edinburgh post-mark, which had been brought with tenpence to pay, from Cairn Edward.
affectationnounUS /ˌæfekˈteɪʃən/
a deliberate pretense or exaggerated display
From this reading That evening, on his return to the manse, Manse Bell handed him, with a fine affectation of unconcern, a letter with the Edinburgh post-mark, which had been brought with tenpence to pay, from Cairn Edward.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Ralph Peden kept his promise just twenty-four hours, which under the circumstances was an excellent performance.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading She was renowned throughout the country for her cooking and her temper, the approved excellence of the one being supposed to make up for the difficult nature of the other.
approvedadjectiveUS /əˈpruːvd/
established by authority; given authoritative approval
From this reading She was renowned throughout the country for her cooking and her temper, the approved excellence of the one being supposed to make up for the difficult nature of the other.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading That evening, on his return to the manse, Manse Bell handed him, with a fine affectation of unconcern, a letter with the Edinburgh post-mark, which had been brought with tenpence to pay, from Cairn Edward.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading She was renowned throughout the country for her cooking and her temper, the approved excellence of the one being supposed to make up for the difficult nature of the other.
BellnounUS /bel/
a hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck
From this reading That evening, on his return to the manse, Manse Bell handed him, with a fine affectation of unconcern, a letter with the Edinburgh post-mark, which had been brought with tenpence to pay, from Cairn Edward.
BESOMSHANKS
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE OPINIONS OF SAUNDERS MOWDIEWORT UPON BESOMSHANKS.
broughtverbUS /brɔːt/
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading That evening, on his return to the manse, Manse Bell handed him, with a fine affectation of unconcern, a letter with the Edinburgh post-mark, which had been brought with tenpence to pay, from Cairn Edward.
CairnnounUS /kern/
a mound of stones piled up as a memorial or to mark a boundary or path
From this reading That evening, on his return to the manse, Manse Bell handed him, with a fine affectation of unconcern, a letter with the Edinburgh post-mark, which had been brought with tenpence to pay, from Cairn Edward.
circumstancesnounUS /ˈsɜːrkəmstænsəz/
your overall circumstances or condition in life (including everything that happens to you)
From this reading Ralph Peden kept his promise just twenty-four hours, which under the circumstances was an excellent performance.
closeadjectiveUS /kloʊs/
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading Manse Bell was a smallish, sharp-tongued woman of forty, with her eyes very close together.
cookingnounUS /ˈkʊkɪŋ/
the act of preparing something (as food) by the application of heat
From this reading She was renowned throughout the country for her cooking and her temper, the approved excellence of the one being supposed to make up for the difficult nature of the other.
countrynounUS /ˈkʌntri/
a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading She was renowned throughout the country for her cooking and her temper, the approved excellence of the one being supposed to make up for the difficult nature of the other.
difficultadjectiveUS /ˈdɪfəkəlt/
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading She was renowned throughout the country for her cooking and her temper, the approved excellence of the one being supposed to make up for the difficult nature of the other.
EdinburghnounUS /ˈedənbəroʊ/
the capital of Scotland; located in the Lothian Region on the south side of the Firth of Forth
From this reading That evening, on his return to the manse, Manse Bell handed him, with a fine affectation of unconcern, a letter with the Edinburgh post-mark, which had been brought with tenpence to pay, from Cairn Edward.
EdwardnounUS /ˈedwərd/
King of England and Ireland in 1936; his marriage to Wallis Warfield Simpson created a constitutional crisis leading to his abdication (1894-1972)
From this reading That evening, on his return to the manse, Manse Bell handed him, with a fine affectation of unconcern, a letter with the Edinburgh post-mark, which had been brought with tenpence to pay, from Cairn Edward.
eveningnounUS /ˈiːvnɪŋ/
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading That evening, on his return to the manse, Manse Bell handed him, with a fine affectation of unconcern, a letter with the Edinburgh post-mark, which had been brought with tenpence to pay, from Cairn Edward.
excellencenounUS /ˈeksələns/
the quality of excelling; possessing good qualities in high degree
From this reading She was renowned throughout the country for her cooking and her temper, the approved excellence of the one being supposed to make up for the difficult nature of the other.
excellentadjectiveUS /ˈeksələnt/
very good; of the highest quality
From this reading Ralph Peden kept his promise just twenty-four hours, which under the circumstances was an excellent performance.
eyesnounUS /aɪz/
opinion or judgment
From this reading Manse Bell was a smallish, sharp-tongued woman of forty, with her eyes very close together.
fineadjectiveUS /faɪn/
being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition
From this reading That evening, on his return to the manse, Manse Bell handed him, with a fine affectation of unconcern, a letter with the Edinburgh post-mark, which had been brought with tenpence to pay, from Cairn Edward.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading She was renowned throughout the country for her cooking and her temper, the approved excellence of the one being supposed to make up for the difficult nature of the other.
fortyadjectiveUS /ˈfɔːrti/
being ten more than thirty
From this reading Manse Bell was a smallish, sharp-tongued woman of forty, with her eyes very close together.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading That evening, on his return to the manse, Manse Bell handed him, with a fine affectation of unconcern, a letter with the Edinburgh post-mark, which had been brought with tenpence to pay, from Cairn Edward.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading That evening, on his return to the manse, Manse Bell handed him, with a fine affectation of unconcern, a letter with the Edinburgh post-mark, which had been brought with tenpence to pay, from Cairn Edward.
handedadjectiveUS /ˈhændəd/
having or involving the use of hands
From this reading That evening, on his return to the manse, Manse Bell handed him, with a fine affectation of unconcern, a letter with the Edinburgh post-mark, which had been brought with tenpence to pay, from Cairn Edward.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Manse Bell was a smallish, sharp-tongued woman of forty, with her eyes very close together.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading That evening, on his return to the manse, Manse Bell handed him, with a fine affectation of unconcern, a letter with the Edinburgh post-mark, which had been brought with tenpence to pay, from Cairn Edward.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Ralph Peden kept his promise just twenty-four hours, which under the circumstances was an excellent performance.
hoursnounUS /ˈaʊərz/
a period of time assigned for work
From this reading Ralph Peden kept his promise just twenty-four hours, which under the circumstances was an excellent performance.
justadverbUS /dʒʌst/
and nothing more
From this reading Ralph Peden kept his promise just twenty-four hours, which under the circumstances was an excellent performance.
keptadjectiveUS /kept/
(especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded
From this reading Ralph Peden kept his promise just twenty-four hours, which under the circumstances was an excellent performance.
letternounUS /ˈletər/
a written message addressed to a person or organization
From this reading That evening, on his return to the manse, Manse Bell handed him, with a fine affectation of unconcern, a letter with the Edinburgh post-mark, which had been brought with tenpence to pay, from Cairn Edward.
makeverbUS /meɪk/
engage in
From this reading She was renowned throughout the country for her cooking and her temper, the approved excellence of the one being supposed to make up for the difficult nature of the other.
mansenoun
a large and imposing house
From this reading That evening, on his return to the manse, Manse Bell handed him, with a fine affectation of unconcern, a letter with the Edinburgh post-mark, which had been brought with tenpence to pay, from Cairn Edward.
MOWDIEWORT
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE OPINIONS OF SAUNDERS MOWDIEWORT UPON BESOMSHANKS.
naturenounUS /ˈneɪtʃər/
the essential qualities or characteristics by which something is recognized
From this reading She was renowned throughout the country for her cooking and her temper, the approved excellence of the one being supposed to make up for the difficult nature of the other.
OFprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE OPINIONS OF SAUNDERS MOWDIEWORT UPON BESOMSHANKS.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading That evening, on his return to the manse, Manse Bell handed him, with a fine affectation of unconcern, a letter with the Edinburgh post-mark, which had been brought with tenpence to pay, from Cairn Edward.
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading She was renowned throughout the country for her cooking and her temper, the approved excellence of the one being supposed to make up for the difficult nature of the other.
OPINIONSnounUS /əˈpɪnjənz/
plural of “opinion” — a personal belief or judgment that is not founded on proof or certainty
From this reading THE OPINIONS OF SAUNDERS MOWDIEWORT UPON BESOMSHANKS.
otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading She was renowned throughout the country for her cooking and her temper, the approved excellence of the one being supposed to make up for the difficult nature of the other.
payverbUS /peɪ/
give money, usually in exchange for goods or services
From this reading That evening, on his return to the manse, Manse Bell handed him, with a fine affectation of unconcern, a letter with the Edinburgh post-mark, which had been brought with tenpence to pay, from Cairn Edward.
Peden
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ralph Peden kept his promise just twenty-four hours, which under the circumstances was an excellent performance.
performancenounUS /pərˈfɔːrməns/
a dramatic or musical entertainment
From this reading Ralph Peden kept his promise just twenty-four hours, which under the circumstances was an excellent performance.
post-mark
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That evening, on his return to the manse, Manse Bell handed him, with a fine affectation of unconcern, a letter with the Edinburgh post-mark, which had been brought with tenpence to pay, from Cairn Edward.
promiseverbUS /ˈprɑːməs/
make a promise or commitment
From this reading Ralph Peden kept his promise just twenty-four hours, which under the circumstances was an excellent performance.
Ralph
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ralph Peden kept his promise just twenty-four hours, which under the circumstances was an excellent performance.
renownedadjectiveUS /rɪˈnaʊnd/
widely known and esteemed
From this reading She was renowned throughout the country for her cooking and her temper, the approved excellence of the one being supposed to make up for the difficult nature of the other.
returnverbUS /rɪˈtɜːrn/
go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading That evening, on his return to the manse, Manse Bell handed him, with a fine affectation of unconcern, a letter with the Edinburgh post-mark, which had been brought with tenpence to pay, from Cairn Edward.
SAUNDERS
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE OPINIONS OF SAUNDERS MOWDIEWORT UPON BESOMSHANKS.
sharp-tongued
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Manse Bell was a smallish, sharp-tongued woman of forty, with her eyes very close together.
ShepronounUS /ʃiː/
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She was renowned throughout the country for her cooking and her temper, the approved excellence of the one being supposed to make up for the difficult nature of the other.
smallishadjectiveUS /ˈsmɔːlɪʃ/
rather small
From this reading Manse Bell was a smallish, sharp-tongued woman of forty, with her eyes very close together.
supposedadjectiveUS /səˈpoʊzd/
required or under orders
From this reading She was renowned throughout the country for her cooking and her temper, the approved excellence of the one being supposed to make up for the difficult nature of the other.
tempernounUS /ˈtempər/
a sudden outburst of anger
From this reading She was renowned throughout the country for her cooking and her temper, the approved excellence of the one being supposed to make up for the difficult nature of the other.
tenpencenoun
a decimal coin worth ten pennies
From this reading That evening, on his return to the manse, Manse Bell handed him, with a fine affectation of unconcern, a letter with the Edinburgh post-mark, which had been brought with tenpence to pay, from Cairn Edward.
ThatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading That evening, on his return to the manse, Manse Bell handed him, with a fine affectation of unconcern, a letter with the Edinburgh post-mark, which had been brought with tenpence to pay, from Cairn Edward.
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE OPINIONS OF SAUNDERS MOWDIEWORT UPON BESOMSHANKS.
throughoutprepositionUS /θruːˈaʊt/
in every part of a place, or for the whole of a period
From this reading She was renowned throughout the country for her cooking and her temper, the approved excellence of the one being supposed to make up for the difficult nature of the other.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading That evening, on his return to the manse, Manse Bell handed him, with a fine affectation of unconcern, a letter with the Edinburgh post-mark, which had been brought with tenpence to pay, from Cairn Edward.
togetheradverbUS /təˈɡeðər/
in contact with each other or in proximity
From this reading Manse Bell was a smallish, sharp-tongued woman of forty, with her eyes very close together.
twenty-fouradjectiveUS /ˈtwentifɔːr/
being four more than twenty
From this reading Ralph Peden kept his promise just twenty-four hours, which under the circumstances was an excellent performance.
unconcernnounUS /ˌʌnkənˈsɜːrn/
the trait of remaining calm and seeming not to care; a casual lack of concern
From this reading That evening, on his return to the manse, Manse Bell handed him, with a fine affectation of unconcern, a letter with the Edinburgh post-mark, which had been brought with tenpence to pay, from Cairn Edward.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading Ralph Peden kept his promise just twenty-four hours, which under the circumstances was an excellent performance.
upadjectiveUS /ʌp/
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading She was renowned throughout the country for her cooking and her temper, the approved excellence of the one being supposed to make up for the difficult nature of the other.
UPONprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading THE OPINIONS OF SAUNDERS MOWDIEWORT UPON BESOMSHANKS.
veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/
precisely as stated
From this reading Manse Bell was a smallish, sharp-tongued woman of forty, with her eyes very close together.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Ralph Peden kept his promise just twenty-four hours, which under the circumstances was an excellent performance.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Ralph Peden kept his promise just twenty-four hours, which under the circumstances was an excellent performance.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading That evening, on his return to the manse, Manse Bell handed him, with a fine affectation of unconcern, a letter with the Edinburgh post-mark, which had been brought with tenpence to pay, from Cairn Edward.
womannounUS /ˈwʊmən/
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading Manse Bell was a smallish, sharp-tongued woman of forty, with her eyes very close together.
